Sustainable Blue Economy in the Med Sea Basin: BEinMED

Programme(s): European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF)

Topic(s): EMFAF-2023-UfM-IBA

Type of action: EMFAF Project Grants

Project ID: 101122509

Objective: 

Recent marine survival estimates for Atlantic salmon are amongst the lowest recorded in decades and indicate that as little as 3% of wild smolts now survive to return as adults. In recent decades, survival at sea has widely been accepted as the key determinant of river stock abundance. However, recent research conducted in Denmark, England, Ireland, Spain, Sweden and Northern Ireland through the EU-funded SMOLTrack and related initiatives, have indicated that smolt mortality during the early outward migratory phase from ‘source to sea’ is much higher than previously assumed. Thus, early smolt mortality may be more important than marine mortality. To support this hypothesis, various studies have demonstrated that a reduction in negative pressures (e.g. predation, aquaculture) on smolts in the relevant zone of influence can ultimately boost associated numbers of adult returns. Therefore, it has become apparent that significant knowledge gaps remain to understand, quantify and partition the principal cumulative factors responsible for Atlantic salmon smolt survival during this critical life stage. In addition to the high mortality for smolts and post-smolts, there is also a significant mortality in the oceanic phase of Atlantic salmon. It is important to investigate if any part of this mortality may be managed. The SMOLTrack V project will build on the ongoing and published work of the previous SMOLTrack projects, enabling studies of behaviour and survival rates of salmon during their migration through the lower parts of rivers, estuaries and coastal areas. Thus, the project will provide data on smolt run timing and migration behaviour, as well as generate ocean migration data through nano-DST tagging of smolt. SMOLTrack V will further expand on the development of a ‘fit for purpose tagging programme’ to be able to follow the return migration of salmon from feeding areas in the Arctic Sea (East Greenland).