scholarly journals Using simulated escape events to assess the annual numbers and destinies of escaped farmed Atlantic salmon of different life stages from farm sites in Norway

2014 ◽  
Vol 72 (2) ◽  
pp. 670-685 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ove T. Skilbrei ◽  
Mikko Heino ◽  
Terje Svåsand
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Salmon ◽  
Release Site ◽  
Environmental Risks ◽  
Fish Farms ◽  
Farmed Salmon ◽  
Open Sea ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Farmed Atlantic Salmon ◽  
Immature Fish

Abstract To improve assessments of the environmental risks of aquaculture, a series of simulated escapes of farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) from seawater netpens were performed. Individually tagged post-smolts and adult Atlantic salmon were released from various locations at different times of the year. Post-smolts that escaped during their first summer were capable of rapid migration towards the open sea. A small fraction returned to spawn and were recaptured after 1–3 years at sea (0.4%, range 0.0–1.1%). A total of 13% of the post-smolts that escaped during autumn were reported in nearby fisheries during subsequent months, partly because they had grown large enough to be caught in the gillnets used, but more importantly because migratory behaviour diminished towards the end of the year. The mean recapture rate of adult salmon was high after releases in fjords (7–33%), lower after coastal releases (4–7%), and zero on the outer coast. Most of these recaptures were immature fish recaptured in sea relatively close to the release site during their first months post-release. Recaptures of adult escapees after 1–2 years in the wild were very rare (0.09%), probably because of their low survival. A Monte-Carlo method was developed to estimate the annual numbers of escapees from Norwegian fish farms based on reported catches of escaped farmed salmon in the sea and in rivers and the recapture probabilities reported here. The model provides a tool to estimate numbers of escapees independently from the reported numbers. Importantly, our analysis suggests that the total numbers of post-smolt and adult escapees have been two- to fourfold as high as the numbers reported to the authorities by fish farmers, depending on whether the incomplete sea fishery statistics are compensated for.

scholarly journals Escape history and proportion of farmed Atlantic salmon Salmo salar on the coast and in an adjacent salmon fjord in Norway

2020 ◽  
Vol 12 ◽  
pp. 371-383
Author(s):  
T Aronsen ◽  
EM Ulvan ◽  
TF Næsje ◽  
P Fiske
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Salmon ◽  
Body Length ◽  
Salmo Salar ◽  
Coastal Waters ◽  
Wild Salmon ◽  
Farmed Salmon ◽  
Significant Difference ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Farmed Atlantic Salmon

To gain more knowledge about escaped farmed salmon Salmo salar in the wild, we investigated the proportion of escapees, body length at escape, proportion escaped as smolts/post-smolts (≤300 mm) and number of winters in the wild (winter zones in the growth pattern in the scale samples) in catches on the Norwegian coast and in an adjacent fjord from 2013 to 2017. The mean proportion of escapees was higher on the coast (26%) than in the fjord (4%), and escapees caught on the coast had a slightly larger mean body length at escape (607 mm) than in the fjord (557 mm). However, the mean proportion escaped as smolts/post-smolts did not differ significantly between the coast (8%) and the fjord (11%). There was also no significant difference in the mean proportion of farmed salmon with 1 or more winter zones after escape (50% on the coast and 56% in the fjord). The proportions of escapees with 1, 2, 3 or 4 winter zones after escape were 28, 20, 2 and 0.4% in catches on the coast and 30, 21 and 4% in catches in the fjord, respectively. This study found that the proportion of escapees was considerably higher in coastal waters than in the fjord. Escapees consisted of farmed salmon from several escape events over several years, and approximately 50% of the escapees had one or more winter zones after escape. Thus, escaped farmed salmon may pose a threat to wild salmon populations for several years after the escape event.

scholarly journals Monitoring the incidence of escaped farmed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., in rivers and fisheries of the United Kingdom and Ireland: current progress and recommendations for future programmes

2006 ◽  
Vol 63 (7) ◽  
pp. 1201-1210 ◽  
Author(s):  
Alan M. Walker ◽  
Malcolm C.M. Beveridge ◽  
Walter Crozier ◽  
Niall Ó Maoiléidigh ◽  
Nigel Milner
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Salmon ◽  
Salmo Salar ◽  
Best Practice ◽  
British Isles ◽  
Fish Farms ◽  
Farmed Salmon ◽  
Atlantic Salmon Salmo Salar ◽  
The United Kingdom ◽  
Farmed Atlantic Salmon ◽  
Farming Industry

Abstract An inevitable consequence of the development of the Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., farming industry in coastal waters of the British Isles has been the loss of farmed salmon to the wild, their occurrence in inshore waters and rivers, and their appearance in coastal and freshwater fisheries. Monitoring programmes have been developed throughout the British Isles, variously using scientific sampling, catch records from coastal or freshwater fisheries or both, and scientific sampling of catches from in-river traps. We compare the results of these monitoring programmes with regional production and the numbers of escapees reported from marine fish farms. We also consider the effectiveness of the programmes for assessing the prevalence of farmed salmon that escape from marine cages. Finally, we make recommendations for improvements to these programmes and for the development of best practice, including the scientific sampling of in-river spawning stocks through fishery-independent sources, identification of fish origin based on at least two methods, assessment of the degree of incorrect classification, and the timely and accurate reporting of all escapes.

Large-Scale Escapes of Farmed Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) into Norwegian Rivers Threaten Natural Populations

1991 ◽  
Vol 48 (3) ◽  
pp. 426-428 ◽  
Author(s):  
D. Gausen ◽  
V. Moen
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Salmon ◽  
Salmo Salar ◽  
Large Scale ◽  
Natural Populations ◽  
Genetic Introgression ◽  
Fish Farms ◽  
Farmed Salmon ◽  
Atlantic Salmon Salmo Salar ◽  
Farmed Atlantic Salmon ◽  
And Behavior

We present data on Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) which show that escaped farmed salmon enter Norwegian rivers in great numbers. Escaped farmed salmon comprised a substantial proportion of the mature salmon present on the spawning grounds in autumn. A potential for large-scale genetic introgression thus exists. The sex ratios, length distributions, and times of ascent of wild and farmed salmon differed significantly, reflecting major variations in biology and behavior. High proportions of farmed salmon (> 20%) were found only in rivers having fish farms situated closer than 20 km from the outlet.

scholarly journals Horizontal movements of simulated escaped farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in a western Norwegian fjord

2010 ◽  
Vol 67 (6) ◽  
pp. 1206-1215 ◽  
Author(s):  
Ove T. Skilbrei ◽  
Jens Christian Holst ◽  
Lars Asplin ◽  
Stein Mortensen
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Salmon ◽  
Salmo Salar ◽  
Release Site ◽  
Fishing Effort ◽  
Fish Farms ◽  
Large Area ◽  
Atlantic Salmon Salmo Salar ◽  
Norwegian Fjord ◽  
Time Of Year ◽  
Farmed Atlantic Salmon

Abstract Skilbrei, O. T., Holst, J. C., Asplin, L., and Mortensen, S. 2010. Horizontal movements of simulated escaped farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in a western Norwegian fjord. – ICES Journal of Marine Science, 67: 1206–1215. The dispersal of simulated escaped farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in Hardangerfjord in western Norway was studied by telemetry. Tagged fish were released from fish farms on five different dates in the course of 1 year. Irrespective of the time of year, the fish dispersed rapidly, with a mean displacement from the release site of 5–7 km after 1 d, and 9–12 km after 2 d. Individual rates of movement varied, but were much higher than the rate of displacement from the release site, as fish moved around in the fjord basin in all directions. As a result, the fish were spread over an area of more than 500 km2 after 1 week. The number of released fish recorded in the fjord gradually declined after each release from ∼40% remaining in the fjord after 3 weeks to few or none after 7 weeks. In all, 38% moved out of the fjord, and 36 and 2% were reported as captured inside and outside the fjord, respectively. Their rapid dispersal suggests that concentrating efforts to recapture escaped salmon in the proximity of an escape site will probably not be successful, at least from locations of this type. In fact, the recaptures demonstrate that it is both necessary and possible to expand the fishing effort to cover a large area and to sustain it for several weeks to attain high rates of recapture. The wide dispersal of escaped fish potentially acting as vectors within the fjord basin also has implications for the spread of disease and parasites.

Prevalence and recurrence of escaped farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in eastern North American rivers

2008 ◽  
Vol 65 (12) ◽  
pp. 2807-2826 ◽  
Author(s):  
Matthew R.J. Morris ◽  
Dylan J. Fraser ◽  
Anthony J. Heggelin ◽  
Frederick G. Whoriskey ◽  
Jonathan W. Carr ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Salmon ◽  
Salmo Salar ◽  
North American ◽  
Temporal Trends ◽  
Wild Salmon ◽  
Farmed Salmon ◽  
Atlantic Salmon Salmo Salar ◽  
In The Wild ◽  
Farmed Atlantic Salmon ◽  
Comprehensive Compilation

Knowledge of the prevalence of escaped farmed fishes in the wild is an essential first step to assessing the risk resulting from interactions between farmed and wild fishes. This is especially important in eastern North America, where Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ) aquaculture occurs near wild Atlantic salmon rivers and where many wild salmon populations are severely depressed. Here, we review the literature on the incidence of escaped farmed salmon in eastern North American rivers, for which there has been no comprehensive compilation to date. Escaped farmed salmon have been found in 54 of 62 (87%) rivers investigated within a 300 km radius of the aquaculture industry since 1984, including 11 rivers that contain endangered salmon populations. Averaged among all investigations, the proportional representation of farmed salmon among adults entering the rivers from the sea was 9.2% (range 0% to 100%). Where data were sufficient to examine temporal trends, farmed salmon proportions varied considerably over time, suggesting that escape events are episodic in nature. We conclude that escaped farmed salmon are sufficiently prevalent in eastern North American rivers to pose a potentially serious risk to the persistence of wild salmon populations, especially in those rivers that are adjacent to existing aquaculture sites.

scholarly journals Sexual maturation in Atlantic salmon male parr may be triggered both in early spring and late summer under standard farming conditions

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Elia Ciani ◽  
Kristine von Krogh ◽  
Rasoul Nourizadeh-Lillabadi ◽  
Ian Mayer ◽  
Romain Fontaine ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Salmon ◽  
Sexual Maturation ◽  
Late Summer ◽  
Early Spring ◽  
Plasma Testosterone ◽  
Farmed Salmon ◽  
Early Maturing ◽  
Advanced Stages ◽  
One Year ◽  
Immature Fish

AbstractMale Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) display different sexual strategies, maturing either as parr during the freshwater phase (as sneaky spawners), or as post smolts following one or several years at sea. First sexual maturation (puberty) occurs at different times depending on environmental and genetic factors. To improve our knowledge on the timing (age and season) of first sexual maturation in Atlantic salmon male parr, we investigated pubertal activation in second generation farmed salmon from the Norwegian river Figgjo, reared under natural conditions of photoperiod and water temperature. Histological analysis, in combination with morphometric measurements, plasma androgen levels and pituitary gonadotropin gene expression analysis revealed that, as previously reported, some male parr initiated early sexual maturation in spring at one year of age. Interestingly, some male parr were observed to initiate sexual maturation already in autumn, six months after hatching (under-yearlings), much earlier than reported in previous studies. One-year old maturing males showed a low induction in gonadotropin levels, while under-yearling maturing males displayed a significant increase in fshb transcripts as compared to immature fish. Plasma testosterone, detectable also in immature males, increased constantly during testes development, while 11-ketotestosterone, undetectable in immature and early maturing males, increased during more advanced stages of maturation. A mild feminization of the testes (ovotestes) was detected in a subset of samples. This study brings new knowledge on the little investigated field of sexually maturing under-yearlings in Atlantic salmon. This is also the first study comparing the physiology of under-yearling vs one-year old maturing male parr, thus bringing new insights to the remarkable plasticity of Atlantic salmon puberty.

scholarly journals Widespread genetic introgression of escaped farmed Atlantic salmon in wild salmon populations

2016 ◽  
Vol 73 (10) ◽  
pp. 2488-2498 ◽  
Author(s):  
Sten Karlsson ◽  
Ola H. Diserud ◽  
Peder Fiske ◽  
Kjetil Hindar ◽  
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Salmon ◽  
Molecular Genetic ◽  
Genetic Introgression ◽  
Wild Salmon ◽  
Farmed Salmon ◽  
Geographical Regions ◽  
Average Proportion ◽  
Population Sizes ◽  
Farmed Atlantic Salmon ◽  
High Level

Abstract Farmed Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) escape from net pens and enter rivers to spawn, potentially resulting in genetic introgression and reduced fitness of wild salmon. Here, we quantify genetic introgression of farmed to wild salmon, using molecular genetic markers, in populations from 147 salmon rivers, representing three-quarters of the total wild salmon spawning population in Norway. For 109 rivers with adult modern samples and sample sizes of 20 or more, the average level of farmed genetic introgression was 6.4% (median = 2.3%), with a range between 0.0% and 42.2%. Fifty-one of these rivers showed significant farmed genetic introgression when compared with historical reference samples. We observed a highly significant correlation between estimated farmed introgression and average proportion of escaped farmed salmon. We quantify levels of introgression as unweighted averages or weighted by population sizes, to compare geographical regions and to compare levels of introgression in rivers and fjords designated as locations deserving a high level of protection. We found a generally lower level of introgression in National Salmon Rivers and National Salmon Fjords subjected to formal protection by parliament. We conclude that farmed to wild genetic introgression is high in a large proportion of Norwegian salmon rivers, with the highest levels found in the most intensive areas of salmon farming. The extensive genetic introgression documented here poses a serious challenge to the management of farmed and wild Atlantic salmon in Norway and, in all likelihood, in other regions where farmed-salmon escape events occur with regularity

scholarly journals Relationships between the frequency of farmed Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., in wild salmon populations and fish farming activity in Norway, 1989–2004

2006 ◽  
Vol 63 (7) ◽  
pp. 1182-1189 ◽  
Author(s):  
Peder Fiske ◽  
Roar A. Lund ◽  
Lars P. Hansen
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Salmon ◽  
Salmo Salar ◽  
Negative Impact ◽  
Fish Farming ◽  
County Level ◽  
Salmon Farming ◽  
Farmed Salmon ◽  
Catch Statistics ◽  
Farmed Atlantic Salmon ◽  
The Impact

Abstract In Norway, there have been restrictions on salmon farming in several fjords to reduce the potential negative impact on important stocks of wild Atlantic salmon. Little is known about the incidence of escaped farmed salmon in fisheries and broodstocks relative to the extent of fish farming in nearby areas. In this study, we analysed data on the incidence of escaped farmed Atlantic salmon in angling catches and broodstock fisheries in rivers for a 16-year period (1989–2004). These data were weighted using official catch statistics and combined at the county level, and the incidence of escapees was correlated with both the stock of farmed salmon in net pens and the reported number of escapees in different Norwegian counties. Our results indicate a significant positive correlation between the incidence of escaped farmed salmon in the rivers at the county level and the intensity of salmon farming, measured as the number of farmed salmon in net pens, suggesting that protection areas may reduce the impact of escapees in salmon populations nearby.

scholarly journals Evidence of temporal genetic change in wild Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., populations affected by farm escapees

2006 ◽  
Vol 63 (7) ◽  
pp. 1224-1233 ◽  
Author(s):  
Øystein Skaala ◽  
Vidar Wennevik ◽  
Kevin A. Glover
Keyword(s):  
Atlantic Salmon ◽  
Genetic Distances ◽  
Genetic Composition ◽  
Wild Salmon ◽  
Farmed Salmon ◽  
Farmed Atlantic Salmon ◽  
The Cost ◽  
Genetic Profiles ◽  
Over Time ◽  
Historical Samples

Abstract A large number of farmed Atlantic salmon escape from sea cages and hatcheries annually. Selection programmes and domestication have changed the genetic composition of farmed salmon to improve their performance in the culture environment, which apparently occurs at the cost of their fitness in the natural environment. Therefore, gene flow from farmed salmon to wild salmon populations may have altered the genetic composition of wild salmon populations. To investigate the temporal genetic stability in seven wild Norwegian salmon populations, genetic profiles were produced from historical and contemporary scale samples. Historical and contemporary samples of salmon from the Namsen, Etne, Opo, Vosso, Granvin, Eio, and Hå Rivers were genotyped at the following eight microsatellite loci: Ssa13.37, Ssa28, SsOSL85, Ssa197, Ssa20.19, SsaF43, Ssa202, and Ssa85. A significant change in genetic profiles was observed over time in the Opo, Vosso, and Eio Rivers, but no changes in genetic profiles were observed in the Namsen, Etne, Granvin, and Hå Rivers. A small reduction in FST values and genetic distances among populations was observed in the contemporary samples compared with the historical samples, indicating a eduction in population differentiation over time.

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