Líffræðifélag Íslands - biologia.is
Líffræðiráðstefnan 2025
Erindi/veggspjald / Talk/poster E7
Höfundar / Authors: Hlynur Bárðarson (1)
Starfsvettvangur / Affiliations: 1. Marine and Freshwater Research Insitute, Iceland
Kynnir / Presenter: Hlynur Bárðarson
Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) populations have declined across the North Atlantic since the 1980s, with consistently low abundance in many regions. In recent years, some populations have been added to regional red lists of species at risk of extinction. The most recent report of the ICES Working Group on North Atlantic Salmon (WGNAS) documented that, in 2023 or 2024, one-sea-winter (1SW) salmon returns were at their lowest or second-lowest levels in 10 of 17 countries/jurisdictions, while multi-sea-winter (MSW) salmon returns were similarly low in nine. In Iceland, returns have also been weak, with catches—corrected for catch and release—in nine of the past ten years at or below the long-term average since 1974. This presentation will review the current status of Atlantic salmon across different countries and highlight the efforts of the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization (NASCO) and its member states to identify and address key threats, including climate change, migration barriers, and negative impacts from aquaculture.