An invasive fish species, a so-called humpback salmon, has increased sharply in Northern Norway in recent years, which SR Ecot was to report. Now the concern is spreading that the fish will enter Swedish territory.
– They are very aggressive, have very sharp teeth and bite other fish, says Paul-Erik Aspholm, marine biologist.
The humpback salmon poses a danger to both humans and animals. It spreads as the eggs have a better chance of surviving in waters that are getting warmer as a result of global warming.
A spread that is currently unstoppable, according to the Norwegian marine biologist Paul-Erik Aspholm.
– At present, there is almost no money to investigate the Puckellax properly, he says.
The Russian salmon is moving towards Sweden
The humpback salmon was planted on the Russian Kola Peninsula in the 1950s and has since spread to Norwegian waters. Now it has increased greatly in number.
– In 2021, approximately 200,000 humpback salmon were fished out of rivers and seas, says Paul-Erik Aspholm.
The aggressive fish do not only pose a threat to other fish. Even humans can suffer harm when the animal invades nearby watercourses.
After mating, the salmon die and are left to rot in the rivers, which can spread dangerous bacteria to humans and animals.