The International Year of the Salmon (IYS) is a project launched by NASCO, the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization NPAFC, North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission and other partners.
The IYS focal year will be 2019, with projects and activities starting in 2018 and continuing into 2022. Various events and projects will be held throughout the year in the Northern Hemisphere. The main objectives of these activities are threefold: to create a greater awareness of the ecological, social, cultural and economic value of salmon; to support research, conservation and restoration strategies to help manage the species; and to push scientists, decision-makers and the public to take actions in order to safeguard this iconic fish.
The salmon is a very important species to anglers and local communities. Anglers travel long distances, to other countries and continents to fish for this iconic species
Salmon breeds in the rivers but lives most of its life at sea. It returns to its natal river to spawn. Atlantic and Baltic Salmon are under pressure from a vast number of threats, at sea and in the rivers, which include pollution, disruption of spawning grounds, overfishing, various diseases, contamination by sea lice from fish farms, genetic pollution by interbreeding with escaped farmed salmon, hydropower plants, dams, predation by birds and other animals. During the last century a vast number of wild salmon stocks have been made extinct, mainly due to obstacles (hydropower) in the rivers, which cut off salmons’ access to the spawning grounds. More than 60 Baltic rivers originally had stocks of wild salmon. Today, natural production only takes place in less than 50% of them1.
Photo credit: Benny Lindgren
The European Anglers Alliance (EAA) and its member organisations are actively taking part in the IYS by arranging a number of activities and events.
One example is the conference ‘
Tomorrows Management of Baltic Salmon’, which will take place 20 and 21 March in Luleå, Sweden, organised by EAA’s Swedish member organisation ‘Sportfiskarna’ together with other partners.
More events and activities are available on the
IYS website.