There are no salmon left in the rivers along the Baltic Sea.
A new report shows that salmon stocks this year continue to be at a record low level and now fishermen are demanding a total stop to all fishing in the Baltic Sea.
– The salmon is feeling really, really bad, says fishing guide Robert Vestin.
Few salmon migrate back up the rivers. This has been stated by the Baltic Salmon Foundation in a new report which has mapped how the salmon stocks are doing along the Baltic Sea and the situation is serious.
– We demand a total fishing stop in the Baltic Sea for five years so that our stocks have a chance to recover, says Thomas Johansson, secretary general of the Baltic Salmon Foundation.
One of the reasons why the salmon do not survive is the lack of herring and herring in the salmon’s diet. The foundation therefore wants to see a total stop to all commercial fishing in the Baltic Sea. Something that the Norwegian Sea and Water Authority does not think is necessary.
– Professional fishing is only allowed in the northern parts of the Baltic Sea and that is already on the weakest stocks. This has meant that fishing has been phased out to protect the salmon, says investigator Jens Persson.