Population decline in the endemic Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in Kapisillit River, Greenland

Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., is found throughout the North Atlantic, with thousands of rivers having spawning populations. In Greenland, spawning is limited to one river in West Greenland, the Kapisillit River (64˚N), and the salmon are limited to the lower few kilometres of the system. Using ma...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Fisheries management and ecology Vol. 25; no. 5; pp. 392 - 399
Main Authors: Hedeholm, Rasmus Berg, Broberg, Mala, Nygaard, Rasmus, Grønkjær, Peter
Format: Journal Article
Language:English
Published: Oxford Wiley Subscription Services, Inc 01.10.2018
Subjects:
Biodiversity
density
Fish
Fisheries
Fishing
fishing pressure
Freshwater fishes
genetic stability
Greenland
habitat
Marine fishes
mark–recapture
parr
Population decline
population dynamics
Population genetics
Population number
population size
Rivers
Salmo salar
Salmon
Smolts
Spawning
Spawning populations
Greenland
ISSN:0969-997X, 1365-2400
Online Access:Get full text
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Summary:Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., is found throughout the North Atlantic, with thousands of rivers having spawning populations. In Greenland, spawning is limited to one river in West Greenland, the Kapisillit River (64˚N), and the salmon are limited to the lower few kilometres of the system. Using mark–recapture, it was estimated the parr population was 5,953 individuals, and that the population size has declined by 52% since 1959. In spite of this decline, parr density remains high, being between 0.26 and 0.62 parr/m2. Using a historical age‐length key, an estimated minimum of 635 smolt will have descended to the sea in 2017. These will be caught in a fishery currently subject to no regulatory measures and fishing remains the most likely driver of the population decline. The genetically distinct population is endemic to Greenland, and managers should implement measures to conserve this genetic integrity and local biodiversity.
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ISSN:0969-997X
1365-2400
DOI:10.1111/fme.12306