On 15-16 October Coalition Clean Baltic arranged a seminar in Riga/Salacgriva, Latvia, to discuss the upcoming European Commission salmon management plan. The seminar also discussed national salmon management efforts and actions needed in those two areas.
The seminar gathered environmental NGOs, anglers and scientists from most countries belonging to the Baltic Sea drainage basin, including Russia and Belarus. All participants were given the chance to present plans, obstacles and opportunities in salmon management in their countries. The meeting therefore provided with a great opportunity for exchange of experiences.
The participants were given an overview of the current state of wild Baltic Salmon populations by Gunnar Norén, executive secretary of Coalition Clean Baltic (CCB). Norén’s presentation concluded that most rivers in the Baltic proper, the Gulf of Finland and the Gulf of Riga provide with potential for inhabiting wild salmon populations. However, dam developments, poaching, deteriorating water quality due to farming practises, as well as a historically high fishing pressure have driven many populations outside of safe numbers. The Mörrum river and Emå river in southern Sweden as well as the Salaca river in Latviaillustrate positive exceptions, containing wild salmon in safe numbers. Moreover, the recent ban on the use of drift nets provide with increased potential for the numbers of returning spawners to rivers containing good habitats.
In the Bay of Bothnia the situation is somewhat better. Large rivers such as the Tornejoki/Torne älv, Simojoki, Kalix and Byske rivers in Sweden and Finland contain large numbers of wild salmon. However, there are many small rivers in Both Sweden andFinland containing poor numbers of wild salmon.
The meeting agreed to give joint recommendations to European Commission Baltic salmon management plan with aim of safeguarding all of the remaining wild Baltic salmon populations.