As oceans become warmer, fish are finding it harder to find food. Salmon are at risk from environmental change and human development across the Northern Hemisphere.
The epic migrations of salmon through rivers and oceans take them across borders, languages, cultures, and economies, and saving these beautiful and influential creatures requires a uniquely large-scale solution.
The International Year of the Salmon aims to bring people together to share and develop knowledge more effectively, raise awareness and take action.
To learn more about this initiative Marine Biologist Ken Whelan joins our Mooney Goes Wild studio panel; Entomologist Éanna Ní Lamhna, Derek Mooney and Zoologist and Ornithologist Dr. Richard Collins.
A new study shows salmon leaving freshwater is an important factor in declining European salmon populations, according to early results from a project examining the early migration phase of salmon smolts (young salmon) from rivers across Europe.
The international project sees scientists from each participating country tag salmon smolts with miniaturised acoustic and radio transmitter tags in rivers in their own country, and track their migration journey through the lower parts of rivers, estuaries, and coastal areas.
This study includes populations in Southern Europe which are most vulnerable to climate change. In Ireland, this work is being carried out in the River Erriff, Inland Fisheries Ireland’s National Salmonid Index Catchment (NSIC).
In addition to the activity in Ireland, tagging is being carried out on the River Bush (Northern Ireland), River Tamar (England), River Ulla and River Minho (Spain), River Göta and River Högvadsån (Sweden), River Skjern and River Storaa (Denmark).
This information will help scientists to understand the survival rates of salmon smolts during their migrations under varying conditions ranging from cooler climates in Sweden to warmer climate in Spain. Already SMOLTRACK is providing new data on the initial migration of salmon smolts which will inform future management and conservation measures for this iconic species.
For more information about the SMOLTRACK project visit Fisheries Ireland website by clicking this link here, and by visiting Atlantic Salmon Trust by clicking this link here.
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