The Marine and Freshwater Research Institute encourages fishermen to release the salmon they catch this summer and be gentle in their fishing in Icelandic rivers

Photo: Ásta Kristín Guðmundsdóttir

Low return rates of salmon from the sea this summer are resulting in low number of salmon running up many rivers in Iceland. This is important so the spawning stock this autumn will be as strong as it can be. 

Salmon fishing has been very poor this summer in Iceland. There are number of reason for that. The smolt cohort last year was small in many rivers (especially in the South and West Iceland) and the return rate from sea is also low. As the number of grilse (1 sea winter salmon) was last year was low last year the number of salmon (2 sea winter salmon) are also low in number this year. All these factors are causing phenomenal low number of salmon in many rivers this summer. To ensure that the spawning stock will be as large as possible it is important to fish in a gentle and moderate way and release as many salmon as possible after fishing. How to catch and release can be learned from many websites on the internet or be learned from experienced guides at the rivers.