Do Norwegian Atlantic salmon feed in the northern Barents Sea? Tag recoveries from 70 to 78° N

• Published in: Journal of Fish Biology
• Main Authors: Rikardsen, A. H., Hansen, L. P., Jensen, A. J., Vollen, T., Finstad, B.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Wiley 2008
• Subjects: Alta; Barents Sea; Bear Island; Greenland; Norway; Atlantic salmon; Northern Norway; Salmo salar
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1111/j.1095-8649.2008.01823.x; https://api.wiley.com/onlinelibrary/tdm/v1/articles/10.1111%2Fj.1095-8649.2008.01823.x; https://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/pdf/10.1111/j.1095-8649.2008.01823.x

Three tagged Atlantic salmon Salmo salar were recaptured as subadults or adults (1·4–3 kg) between 70·5 and 78° N in the western Barents Sea, two of which originated from the Alta Fjord region in northern Norway and one from the Drammen River, south‐eastern Norway. An additional tag was recovered from the stomach of a Greenland halibut Reinhardtius hippoglossoides captured south‐west of Bear Island at >600 m depth; this tag was from a smolt released in the River Alta 1 month earlier. These are the northernmost tag recoveries reported for Atlantic salmon, and indicate that Norwegian Atlantic salmon, especially the fish from northern populations, may use the northern Barents Sea as a feeding area during part of their life cycle.