Atlantic salmon ( Salmo salar ) returns to rivers in Ireland have fallen in the last decade resulting in the dramatic closure or curtailment of traditional fisheries. Concerns that stocks were slow to recover prompted further investigation of all factors believed to impact on salmon. In examining geographic and temporal trends in Atlantic salmon stock abundance at a River Basin District level, the effect of salmon aquaculture sites and freshwater habitat quality as potential drivers of stock abundance are evaluated. This study found no correlation between the presence of aquaculture and the performance of adjacent wild salmon stocks. Freshwater habitat quality was found to have a highly significant correlation with stock status, suggesting that it may be a key driver, implicated in the survival of individual stocks.
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Hansen, L.P., Holm, M., Hoist, J.C. and Jacobsen, J.A., (2003) The ecology of post-smolts of Atlantic Salmon Chapter 4. In: Salmon at the Edge, Blackwell Science Ltd., 25-39. doi:10.1002/9780470995495.ch4
Mork, K.A., Gilbey, J., Hansen, L.P., Jensen, A.J., Jacobsen, J.A., Holm, M., Holst, J.C., Maoiléidigh, N.ó., Vikebo, F., McGinnity, P., Melle, W., Thomas, K., Verspoor, E. and Wennevik, V. (2012) Modelling the migration of postsmolt Atlantic salmon (Salmosalar) in the Northeast Atlantic. ICES Journal of Marine Science, fss108v1-fss108.
Butler, J.R.A., Middlemas, S.J., Graham, I.M., Thompson, P.M. and Armstrong, J.D. (2006) Modelling the impacts of removing seal predation from Atlantic salmon, Salmosalar, rivers in Scotland: A tool for targeting conflict resolution. Fisheries Management and Ecology, 13, 285291. doi:10.1111/j.1365-2400.2006.00504.x
Gibson, R.J. (1993) The Atlantic salmon in fresh water: Spawning, rearing and production. Reviews in Fish Biology and Fisheries, 3, 39-73. doi:10.1007/BF00043297
Maki-Petays, A., Huusko, A., Erkinaro, J. and Muotka, T. (2002) Transferability of habitat suitability criteria of juvenile Atlantic salmon (Salmosalar). Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 59, 218-228. doi:10.1139/f01-209
Einum, S. and Nislow, K.H. (2011) Variation in population size through time and space: Theory and recent empirical advances from Atlantic salmon. In: Aas, o., Einum, S., Klemetsen, A. and Skurdal, J., Eds., Atlantic Salmon Ecology, Wiley-Blackwell, New York, 277-298.
Crozier, W.W. (2000) Escaped farmed salmon, Salmosalar L., in the Glenarm River, Northern Ireland: Genetic status of the wild population 7 years on. Fisheries Management and Ecology, 7, 437-446. doi:10.1046/j.1365-2400.2000.00219.x
Skilbrei, O.T. and Wennevik, V. (2006) Survival and growth of sea-ranched Atlantic salmon, Salmosalar L., treated against sea lice before release. ICES Journal of Marine Science, 63, 1317-1325. doi:10.1016/j.icesjms.2006.04.012
Karlsson, S., Moen, T., Lien, S., Glover, K. and Hindar, K. (2011) Generic genetic differences between farmed and wild Atlantic salmon identified from a 7K SNP-chip. Molecular Ecology Resources, 11, 247-253.
Glover, K.A., Quintela, M., Wennevik, V., Besnier, F., Sorvik, A.G.E., et al. (2012) Three decades of farmed escapees in the wild: A spatio-temporal analysis of Atlantic salmon population genetic structure throughout Norway. PLoS ONE, 7, e43129. doi:10.1371/journal.pone.0043129
Anon (2010) Report of the standing scientific committee to the department of communications, energy and natural resources—The status of Irish salmon stocks in 2009 and precautionary catch advice for 2010. Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Dublin.
Jackson, D., Kane, F., O’Donohoe, P., Mc Dermott, T., Kelly, S., Drumm, A. and Newell, J. (2013) Sea lice levels on wild Atlantic salmon, Salmosalar L., returning to the coast of Ireland. Journal of Fish Diseases, 36, 293298. doi:10.1111/jfd.12059
Jackson, D., Cotter, D., O’Maoileidigh, N., O’Donohoe, P., White, J., Kane, F., Kelly, S., McDermott, T., McEvoy, S., Drumm, A., Cullen, A. and Rogan, G. (2011) An evaluation of the impact of early infestation with the salmon louse Lepeophtheirus salmonis on the subsequent survival of outwardly migrating Atlantic salmon, Salmosalar L., smolts. Aquaculture, 320, 159-163. doi:10.1016/j.aquaculture.2011.03.029
Jackson, D., Cotter, D., O’Maoileidigh, N., O’Donohoe, P., White, J., Kane, F., Kelly, S., McDermott, T., McEvoy, S., Drumm, A. and Cullen, A. (2011) Impact of early infestation with the salmon louse Lepeophtheirus salmonis on the subsequent survival of outwardly migrating Atlantic salmon smolts from a number of rivers on Ireland’s south and west coast. Aquaculture, 319, 37-40. doi:10.1016/j.aquaculture.2011.06.042
Gargan, P.G., Forde, G., Hazon, N., Russell, D.J.F. and Todd, C.D. (2012) Evidence for sea lice-induced marine mortality of Atlantic salmon (Salmosalar) in western Ireland from experimental releases of ranched smolts treated with emamectin benzoate. Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, 69, 343-353. doi:10.1139/f2011-155
Jackson, D., Cotter, D., Newell, J., McEvoy, S., O’Donohoe, P., Kane, F., McDermott, T., Kelly, S. and Drumm, A. (2013) Impact of Lepeophtheirus salmonis infestations on migrating Atlantic salmon, Salmosalar L., smolts at eight locations in Ireland with an analysis of lice—Induced marine mortality. Journal of Fish Diseases, 36, 273-281. doi:10.1111/jfd.12054
Skilbrei, O.T., Finstad, B., Urdal, K., Bakke, G., Kroglund, F. and Strand, R. (2013) Impact of early salmon louse, Lepeophtheirus salmonis, infestation and differences in survival and marine growth of sea—Ranched Atlantic salmon, Salmosalar L., smolts 1997-2009. Journal of Fish Diseases, 36, 249-260. doi:10.1111/jfd.12052
Anon (2007) Report of the standing scientific committee of the national salmon commission—The status of Irish salmon stocks in 2006 and precautionary catch advice for 2007. Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Dublin.
Anon (2008) Report of the standing scientific committee of the national salmon commission—The status of Irish salmon stocks in 2007 and precautionary catch advice for 2008. Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Dublin.
Anon (2009) Report of the standing scientific committee to the department of communications, energy and natural resources—The status of Irish salmon stocks in 2008 and precautionary catch advice for 2009. Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Dublin.
Anon (2011) Report of the standing scientific committee for salmon to the department of communications, energy and natural resources—The status of Irish salmon stocks in 2010, with precautionary catch advice for 2011. Department of Communications, Marine and Natural Resources, Dublin.
O’Donohoe, P., Kane, F., Kelly, S., Nixon, P., Power, A., Naughton, O. and Jackson, D. (2008) National survey of sea lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis Kroyer and Caligus elongatus Nordmann) on fish farms in Ireland—2007. Irish Fisheries Bulletin No. 31, Marine Institute.
O’Donohoe, P., Kane, F., Kelly, S., Nixon, P., Power, A., McDermott, T., Drumm, A. and Jackson, D. (2010) National survey of sea lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis Kroyer and Caligus elongatus Nordmann) on fish farms in Ireland—2009. Irish Fisheries Bulletin No. 33, Marine Institute.
O’Donohoe, P., Kane, F., Kelly, S., McDermott, T., Drumm, A. and Jackson, D. (2012) National survey of sea lice (Lepeophtheirus salmonis Kroyer and Caligus elongatus Nordmann) on fish farms in Ireland—2011. Irish Fisheries Bulletin No. 40, Marine Institute.
McGarrigle, M., Lucey, J. and ó’Cinnéide, M. (2010) Water quality in Ireland 2007-2009. EPA, Ireland, 138.
O’Maoileidigh, N., Cullen, A., McDermott, T., Bond, N. and McLaughlin, D. (2002) Review of Irish salmon aquaculture escapee data. International Council for the Exploration of the Sea, Copenhagen.