Archive for the ‘Salmon’ Category

WARMING SEAS

Thursday, February 26th, 2015
WARMING SEAS: CHANGING ECOSYSTEMS In The Times today 21/2/2015  Oliver Moody writes about research results of Spanish and British marine scientists on the effects of the rise of 1.31C in sea temperature in the northeast Atlantic continental shelf region over the last three decades. The government’s Centre for Environment, Fisheries and Aquaculture Science (CEFAS) has already suggested that consumers “will have to learn to love a range of exotic fish species as North Sea stocks change”. Dolphins killing salmon 1

 Dolphins feeding on salmon in the Moray Firth

What does all this mean for our wild Atlantic salmon and sea trout? I think the most obvious effect on fisheries is that species with a preference for colder waters, such as the sprat, are moving northwards. Meanwhile, species of fish that prefer warmer waters such as horse mackerel, mackerel, sardines and anchovies, have already spread into the North Sea and Baltic Sea. Pentland Firth APHA

The Pentland Firth, most northerly of British mainland coasts

This ‘Mediterraneanisation’ of the seas around northwest Europe – our seas and coastal waters – may bring rewards to the UK fishing industry if species such as red mullet move north. But there are also implicit threats coming from sea warming. For example, it is already established that cod and salmon are moving away from the warmer waters of the southern North Sea. Terrestrial warming and higher temperatures of freshwater habitats may also cause declines of trout stocks, which of course includes sea trout. Some views expressed in the angling media are based on the hope that the natural resilience of Atlantic salmon will adapt to environmental changes. They rightly point out that salmon have survived at least two ice ages, which involved them abandoning hot river catchments and colonising new ones revealed by the retreating ice. It is important that such views do not encourage complacency. It is particularly important that river managers continue to prepare for climate change by catchment-wide planning to mitigate effects of warmer water, especially in spawning and juvenile habitats. Pristine burn on Hoy. Low density of juvenile trout

A moorland tributary, susceptible to high water temperatures on hot summers days

Along our coasts and at sea we do not have the ‘hands-on’ ability to address such environmental impacts as we do in fresh water, but we can give migrating salmon and sea trout much better access to and from rivers by killing fewer of them.

From the AST viewpoint we need to monitor what is happening to sea temperatures in the ocean, along our coasts and in fresh water. We must also keep up to date with arrivals and departures in our coastal waters of predators and prey species. Importantly, we must also continue our dialogue with European sea fishing colleagues on the Pelagic Advisory Committee (PELAC) to ensure that migrations of wild Atlantic salmon are not being accidentally disrupted by pelagic trawlers.
TA

NEWS FROM ATLANTIC SALMON TRUST

Friday, January 16th, 2015

2015 AST AUCTION

The 2015 AST auction is probably the best ever. Please visit the auction site which has some beautiful pictures & great lots all in the cause of paying for the AST’s work at sea to bring more of our salmon home.

With about 95% of smolts that leave our rivers dying at sea even a 2% or 3% improvement would see many more fish getting back.

Please support us, and have some fun in the process:

Go to http://www.atlanticsalmontrust.org/auction/mailer/

TA

PS there’s a lot on the Finavon Castle Water. You could bid for that!

 

Copy of Flow into Craigo

Atlantic Salmon Trust Live River Pictures

Thursday, January 1st, 2015
AST LIVE RIVER PICTURES
with Farson Digital Watercams
To subscribe:
please click    www.farsondigitalwatercams.com
Please use the promotional coupon AST-2015

From each annual subscription to AST Live River Pictures, Farson Digital Ltd is donating £5 to AST’s programme of research and conservation. We are extremely grateful for this most generous contribution to our work. This means we can:

  • investigate where, when, and at what stage of their lives at sea, our salmon and sea trout are dying.
  • develop the idea of ‘safe corridors’ for migrating salmon along our coasts and at sea.
  • assess the extent of damage to salmon migrations from commercial trawlers’ by-catch and find new ways of reducing it.
  • support and participate in research into effects of marine renewable energy projects on salmon and sea trout migrations.
  • research and promote new forms of sustainable salmon farming.
  • continue to gather evidence to end mixed stocks coastal netting.
  • find new ways of reducing marine mortality from predation and human activities, where effective action is possible.
  • By working with people and governments ‘wherever the salmon swims’ raise awareness of the challenges faced by wild salmon and sea trout.
  • We know that well over 90% of our salmon are dying at sea.
  • By subscribing to the webcam network You are helping our efforts to bring more healthy salmon and sea trout back to our rivers.
Just click:
www.farsondigitalwatercams.com
and follow instructions
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