Norway’s salmon netting season delayed.

publication date: May 7, 2008

The Norwegian Directorate for Nature Management (DN) has introduced new salmon netting regulations to take effect from 1 June and only for the 2008 season.

A bag-net catch of prime salmon from Trondheim fjord

The new regulations delay the start of bag-net-fishing of between two to four weeks, compared with previous regulations, with the intention to allow more of the early running large salmon to reach the spawning beds.

The expected catch reductions will hopefully have some impact on stocks and the continuing work to preserve the wild salmon stocks in Norway. However, the sea-fishing regulations alone cannot improve the situation in a long term perspective.  Other man-created factors like escaped farmed salmon, sea-lice, hydropower dams, acid rain and the parasite Gyrodactylus salaris all have a huge impact on Norwegian wild salmon.

Aage Wold, the Chairman of Norwegian Salmon Rivers Association, states – ”I’m glad the new regulations for sea-salmon-fishing have been decided.  It is, however, far from enough to safeguard sustainable stocks.  Over 50 salmon rivers have to be closed for fishing due to poor stocks unable to produce satisfactory annual surplus of salmon. These stocks are still exploited by sea fishermen using bag and bend nets.  This is not acceptable and in direct conflict with the advice from the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES) and Norway’s obligation regarding the
North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organisation (NASCO)”.  The Norwegian Salmon Rivers Association  voted unanimously  at their Annual General Meeting to ban all sea fishing on mixed stocks.

The netting seasons are as follows:

Trondheim fjord:  20 June – 04 August.
Namsen fjord: 15 June – 04 August.

We ask--is this small step for Norway’s salmon really enough?