First salmon returns to Saxony

The salmon are returning to Saxony with a slight delay. Last Friday, the first returning fish was caught during routine monitoring in the salmon stream near Bad Schandau (Saxon Switzerland-Eastern Ore Mountains), according to the State Office for Environment, Agriculture and Geology (LfULG).

The female salmon caught weighed one and a half kilograms and was 62.5 centimetres long. The first of two spawning pits had already been detected in the stream at the beginning of November. Accordingly, the state office hopes that the catch heralds a good salmon season for the fishery.

Ascent starts later again

As in the previous year, the salmon's ascent into the Saxon spawning rivers started later than usual. As a rule, the ascent begins at the end of October and peaks in mid-November. According to the experts, one possible reason for the late timing could be the low rainfall in October and November.

Saxony's Atlantic salmon reintroduction program began in 1995 and started with the first stocking of Swedish and Irish salmon fry in 1995. Since then, over a thousand spawning fish have reportedly returned. Nevertheless, their numbers are not sufficient to ensure natural reproduction of the stock, neither in Saxony nor in the entire Elbe catchment area.

Until the beginning of the 19th century, salmon fishing was one of the most profitable branches of Elbe fishing. From 1815 onwards, factors such as overfishing and water pollution led to a steady reduction in catch numbers. After the Second World War, the original Elbe salmon became extinct. According to the state office, stocking is therefore still necessary in the entire Elbe catchment area.