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Predation of Atlantic salmon across ontogenetic stages and impacts on populations

Academic article
Year of publication
2023
Journal
Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences
External websites
Cristin
Arkiv
Doi
Contributors
Morten Falkegård, Robert Lennox, Eva Bonsak Thorstad, Sigurd Einum, Peder Fiske, Øyvind Aaberg Garmo, Åse Helen Garseth, Helge Skoglund, Monica Favnebøe Solberg, Kjell Rong Utne, Knut Vollset, Leif Asbjørn Vøllestad, Vidar Wennevik, Torbjørn Forseth

Summary

Managers and stakeholders increasingly ask whether predation is a driving force behind the poor status of many species, and whether predator control is likely to be a successful management action to intervene. We review existing literature on Atlantic salmon Salmo salar predation and predator control, as well as general ecological theory on the role of predation in the life cycle of this iconic fish. Many bird, mammal, and fish predators target salmon at different life stages. In healthy salmon populations, predation is likely compensated for by reduced intra-specific competition during the freshwater stage. There is little evidence that predation alone has been an underlying mechanism for driving salmon populations below conservation limits. However, depending on the predator’s response to salmon abundance, predation may keep decimated populations from recovering, even when the actual causes of decline have been removed. Under such a scenario, predation control may contribute to recovery, but there are no strong examples that clearly demonstrate the efficacy of managing predators to recover threatened salmon populations, challenging further applications.