Behaviour and survival of wild Atlantic salmon Salmo salar captured and released while surveillance angling for escaped farmed salmon

• Published in: Aquaculture Environment Interactions
• Main Authors: Lennox, R.J. (Robert J.), Havn, T.B. (Torgeir B.), Thorstad, E.B. (Eva B.), Liberg, E. (Egil), Cooke, S.J. (Steven), Uglem, I. (Ingebrigt)
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: 2017
• Subjects: Biological invasions; Catch and release; Environmental monitoring; Species at risk; Telemetry; Lakselva; Norway; Atlantic salmon; Salmo salar
• Online Access: https://ir.library.carleton.ca/pub/20472; https://doi.org/10.3354/AEI00235

In many Norwegian rivers, spawning stocks are surveyed for escaped farmed salmon with surveillance fishing by rod and reel after the recreational angling season. However, the benefits of surveillance fishing depend on the ability of wild salmon to return to the spawning stock. To evaluate the impacts of surveillance fishing, we captured, radio-tagged and released wild Atlantic salmon Salmo salar in the River Lakselva, Norway, in a surveillance fishery occurring just prior to the spawning period. Among 39 salmon captured, 36 wild fish were tagged and released, whereas 3 were not released (1 bleeding from the gills, 1 farmed, 1 farmed and bleeding). Survival