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Problems and challenges with Baltic Salmon
Management with special attention to Estonian
salmon-
Mr Gunnar Norén Executive Secretary toCoalition
Clean Baltic
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Coalition Clean Baltic- For protection of the
Baltic Sea Environment

• CCB Joining forces for the Baltic
• CCB is a network of Environmental NGOs,
  grass-root level, in 9 countries bordering the
  Baltic Sea
• CCB was established in 1990
• CCB is environmental Citizens Organisations (ECO)
  in cooperation
• CCB has 27 member organizations that represents
  more than 0,5 million individual members
• CCB has organisations in Denmark, Estonia,
  Finland, Germany, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland,
  Russia and Sweden

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Member organisations

• Denmark
• Danish Society for Nature Conservation
• Estonia
• Estonian Green Movement
• Estonian Society for Nature Conservation
• Tallinn Society for Nature Conservation
• Finland
• Finnish Association for Nature Conservation
• Finnish Society for Nature and Environment
• Germany
• Bund für Umwelt und Naturschutz
• Deutschland
• InfoBalt
• Latvia
• Environmental Protection Club of Latvia, VAK

Lithuania Lithuanian Green Movement Vilnius
Nature Protection Society Youth
Club Poland Ecobaltic Foundation,
Gdansk Ecological Library Foundation,
Poznan Green Federation, GAJA, Szczecin Klub
Gaja, Bielsko-Biala Polish Ecological
Club Russia Children of the Baltic, St.
Petersburg Ecodefense, Kaliningrad Green World,
St. Petersburg Neva River Clearwater, St.
Petersburg GUIDE Environmental Group,
Kaliningrad Sweden Friends of the Earth
Sweden Swedish Society for Nature
Conservation Swedish-Polish Association for
Environmental Protection WWF-Sweden
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Priority Areas
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• Paromotion of Good ecological water status, -
  sustainable Wastewater management- sustainable
  River Basin Management- water protection
  measures in Agricultur
• Prevention of installations and transports
  harmful to the Baltic Sea environment and coastal
  areas- Protection of the Baltic Sea environment
  from harmful impacts of installations and
  transports- Promotion of sustainable development
  in coastal zones- Protection of Baltic river
  ecosystems from harmful installations
  (hydto-electric power plants, dams etc )
• Development of sustainable Baltic Sea
  fisheries- Protection of the naturally spawning
  Baltic Salmon- Baltic Sea sustainable fishing
  practices

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CCB activities on Baltic salmon management
- Observer in IBSFC (International Baltic Sea
Fishery Commission) - Observer in HELCOM
(Recommendation on Salmon Protection) -
Organised studies and inventories of salmon
rivers in Latvia, Lithuania and Russia -
Restoration of salmonid spawning bottoms in
Latvia and Lithuania - Reintroduction of wild
salmon in West-Pomeranian rivers (Rega, Parseta),
Poland - Construction of fish-ladder for
salmonids in Vilnia river, Lithuania - River
summer-camps for youngsters in Estonia
(education, cleaning, restoration) - Organised
meetings and seminars on protection of wild
Baltic salmon - Project on Protection of salmon
in Estonia (e.g. Pärnu river watershed)
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Map from The Status of the Wild Atlantic Salmon
a river by river assessment 2001
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Actions needed to save naturally spawning Baltic
Salmon - Safeguard all weak wild Baltic salmon
river populations, and the genetic diversity -
Maximize production of naturally spawning Baltic
salmon - Restrict or phase-out salmon fisheries
on mixed salmon populations/wild Baltic salmon -
Limit the extensive artificial salmon stocking
programmes that threaten wild Baltic salmon
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? Improper commercial fishing policies, and
extensive artificial salmon stocking programmes
threaten the naturally spawning Baltic salmon.
? 2/3 of all wild Baltic salmon river
populations are threatened (26 river
populations )
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Actions needed to save naturally spawning Baltic
Salmon - Safeguard all weak wild Baltic salmon
river populations, and the genetic diversity -
Maximize production of naturally spawning Baltic
salmon - Restrict or phase-out salmon fisheries
on mixed salmon populations/wild Baltic salmon -
Limit the extensive artificial salmon stocking
programmes that threaten wild Baltic salmon
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ICES assessment and advice for management of
Baltic salmon (report from spring 2004)
Salmon in the Gulf of Finland - At present wild
salmon populations occur in nine Estonian rivers
and many of these populations are at risk of
extinction, or at least loss of genetic
variability - Fish ladders would increase the
size of reproduction areas, which could increase
productivity and create more buffer for stocks to
stand the variability - There are no positive
signs of increasing parr densities in the rivers
draining into Gulf of Finland
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- Fisheries management must ensure adequate
escapement to these rivers, if natural
populations are ever to recover - The offshore
fishery and coastal fisheries must be reduced to
a level that ensures a sufficient escapement to
spawning migration - All possible means should
be used to prevent all fishing in rivers and
river mouths supporting wild stocks ( control of
poaching prohibit coastal fisheries on migration
paths etc) - Any TAC (Total Allowable Catch)
consistent with the production of reared salmon
in Gulf of Finland may cause a bycatch of wild
salmon which leads to unsustainable exploitation
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Baltic Salmon action plan (SAP) variability of
the wild Baltic salmon.
The SAP was adopted in 1996 to support the
sustainable management of the Baltic salmon and
to secure the survival of the wild Baltic salmon
populations. CCB proposal - needed to decide on
complementary goals and new actions to be
included into the Baltic SAP. Redefinition of
objectives for the SAP, in accordance with ICES
advice ICES has proposed IBSFC to redefine the
objectives for Baltic salmon management to -
Safeguarding genetic variability - Safeguarding
each wild stock including the weakest
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Establish a Salmon Conservation Organisation for
the Atlantic salmon in the Baltic Sea
catchment Today the management of the Baltic
(Atlantic) salmon is handled by the IBSFC
(International Baltic Sea Fishery Commission).
IBSFC is planned to be closed down in the end
of 2005. Instaed a bilateral agreement between
EU-Russia on Baltic salmon fisheries. What will
happen with the international management of
Baltic salmon ? Baltic Salmon Management needs a
proper body for discussion on management where
all stakeholders can participate. CCB
Proposal Establish a new structure-institution
for the management of the Baltic salmon, e g the
Baltic Sea Salmon Conservation Organisation, with
the same opennness and transparency for all
stakeholders as within NASCO Or Baltic Salmon
Management , as a Committee under NASCO
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Baltic Salmon - conservation status favourable
?variability of the wild Baltic salmon.
Atlantic (Baltic) salmon a species of special
interest in EU Habitat directive. Endangered or
vulnerable rare endemic or require particular
attention Shall reach Good favourable
status Obligation for all EU-members to fulfil
EU Habitat directive. (Report every two years ,
and every six years)
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Salmon in Maine is now seriously
depleted. Historical times hundreds of
thousands of adult returning salmon In 2002
estimated only 871 returning spawners of salmon
to 15-20 rivers (790 to Penobscot river 80 to
other Maines rivers) Urgent need to reverse the
decline of salmon populations. RECOMMENDATIONS
by US National Research Council - Primarily focus
on the river(s) with strongest populations
(Penobscot river) - Start a programme of dam
removal , and Habitat restoration - Hatcheries
continue in the short-term - supplement wild
populations (under certain conditions) - serve
as storhouse of fish from various rivers
Atlantic salmon in Maine variability of the wild
Baltic salmon.
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- No stocking of salmon , of any life stage ,
in rivers having wild salmon , unless use of
river-specific stocks - Prohibition of
commercial and recreational fishing for salmon -
Maximum and minimum size limits for trout fishing
in salmon rivers - Minimum size large enough
to protect salmon smolts - Maximum size small
enough to protect adult salmon - Shaping
government structures to be consistent with
salmon biology (and develop multistakeholder
governance institutions for each river basin)
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- Hatchery practices evaluated in an
adaptive-management to further reduce genetic and
ecological effects Integration of hatchery and
naturally reproducing salmon could lead to
adverse consequences for naturally reproducing
fish. Use of hatcheries to rebuild depressed
salmon populations is still unproven
technology. Hatcheries use should be limited to
situations where advantages outweigh
disadvantages Hatchery release practices must
be committed to concept of adaptive management
with continuous evaluation and corrections -
changes
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Estonias role is crucial for wild salmon in Gulf
of Finlandvariability of the wild Baltic
salmon.
surviving Estonian populations of wild salmon -
still the last native in Gulf of Finland (state
of populations in Russian rivers unclear)
Estonian salmon populations - despite the small
size - relatively high level of genetic
diversity - represent a valuable and unique
genetic resource Estonia is a key actor for
wild salmon in Gulf of Finland If Estonia is not
ready to act Russia and Finland will not take
actions An Estonian salmon management policy
to safeguard wild Estonian salmon with high
political support should be developed
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Actions to be considered in Estonian salmon
management e wild Baltic salmon.
New clear and distinct Goals for salmon
management Develop well-defined Actions to
reach high conservation goals Improve fishery
regulations limit salmon fishery further
Improve enforcement (control inspection
information) Focus on habitat restoration -
Many measures for salmon habitat improvements in
Estonian National Environment
Protection Plan - Who is responsible for the
implementation ? Develop information and
education material on Estonian salmon Develop
a salmon aquarium and visitors center in one of
the Estonian salmon rivers
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Phase-out enhancement stocking of Neva
salmon/smolts in Estonian rivers Turn Salmon
fish-breeding (hatcheries) to supplement wild
populations only with river-specific stocks, and
adaptive-management to reduce adverse genetic and
ecological effects Or use fish-breeding farms for
other fish species than salmon Future
directions for Estonian salmon management-
salmon for sea fisheries (highest possible
production)- use for sportfishing (anglers)
safeguard wild populations A study on the
potential value of strong wild salmon stocks in
Estonian rivers used for sportfishing, compared
to the value for commercial fisheries in the
sea Develop Action Plans for each salmon river
(regulations, restorartion measures,
responsibilities, time-table, financing ) Involve
all stakeholders in preparation
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Coming actions urgently needed of the wild
Baltic salmon.
Estonia must make a choice now secure all wild
salmon stocks in Estonian rivers, or not If you
wait some years High risk unique salmon
populations are lost forever Other countries,
e.g. Sweden, have lost unique wild salmon
populations now regret the lack of powerful
actions some years ago
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Wild Baltic salmon a Baltic heritage to be
esteemed
Let the wild Baltic salmon become a symbol for a
unique and rich Baltic Sea Baltic Region
citizens are obliged to restore all wild Baltic
salmon populations.