Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Ecological Status of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo Salar L.) in France: Need for an Ecosystemic Approach

  • Conference paper
  • First Online:
Oceanography Challenges to Future Earth

  • 601 Accesses

Abstract

Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) is, in France, a totemic species and a symbol of the quality of aquatic environment. Formerly, very abundant in numerous river basins entering the Channel or the Atlantic coast, this species, unfortunately, is declining since the beginning of the 20th century and particularly after the end of the 2nd World War. Presently, this anadromous fish migrates on 40 river systems located between the Belgium border and the Spanish one. Salmon is mainly exploited by rod anglers but there still exists a professional fishery in the Adour-Gaves basin (located in the South-West part of France) where salmon catches are allowed with drift net. In all other estuaries and coastal waters where they are not prohibited, salmon catches by (professional) fishermen remain incidental and very few. Commercial salmon fishing, whether targeted or accidental, is strictly regulated in France, including a fishing licensing regime specific to diadromous fish species.” The total catch is currently estimated to 10 metric tons around 3000 fish. The decline of Atlantic salmon in France is due to multiple anthropogenic pressures that have affected the size and the quality of its freshwater habitat during the 20th century such as: edification of dams on a great number of rivers for energy production or for agricultural and domestic purposes; increase of the water pollution with a degradation of the quality of the spawning areas; impediments to free migration due to an insufficient number of fish ladders or non effective fishways that prevent salmon to reach safely and rapidly their spawning areas. The final result is a large decrease of productivity of salmon stocks in most part of French salmon rivers and some difficulties to maintain a professional or leisure exploitation. Despite the ban of salmon catch in large river systems such as the Loire, Gironde, Seine, Garonne, Dordogne basins and the drastic decrease of the number of salmon fishers (presently less than 3000 for anglers and less than 30 for professional fishers), managers have some great difficulties to rebuild the population. Most of restoration programs failed due to a too fragmented approach without a global view of salmon needs; fishing regulations without improvement of salmon environment have limited effects on the stock restoration if the main cause of decline is the decrease of the quality of salmon habitat. So, the future of Atlantic salmon in France lies in the implementation of an ecosystemic approach in order to have perennial and significant effects on the abundance of this population. The examples of restoration programs undertaken in the Adour-Gaves basin or in small river systems such as the Elorn river in Brittany confirm the need for management plans including not only fishing regulations but also improvement of salmon environment. On the Adour-Gaves river system for example, a restoration program including regulation of fishery, improvement of the free migration of individuals for a better access to the best spawning areas located in the upper course of the salmon tributaries, has given significant results on the stock abundance and on the percentage of large spawners in the population.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this chapter

Log in via an institution
Chapter
USD 29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD 189.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as EPUB and PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Hardcover Book
USD 249.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Institutional subscriptions

Notes

  1. 1.

    There exists 25 salmon rivers 22 of which are a drainage area of less than 1000 km² (Valadou 2014)

  2. 2.

    Ten year average since 2003

  3. 3.

    Including a neighborhood river: The Nivelle river

  4. 4.

    The Adour estuary is the only estuary where a professional fishery for salmon is allowed.

  5. 5.

    In a succinct way, more the productivity level is high more the size of the territory is small and more the density of individuals is high.

  6. 6.

    In the highest latitudes such as Scandinavian rivers or rivers flowing in Newfoundland for example, the freshwater phase can be longer: 4 to 7 years (Lee and Power 1976; Chadwick 1985)

  7. 7.

    We have taken this period because in the 19th century the salmon fishing was allowed from January to November and at the end of the 20th century, the drif net fishery was allowed from mid-March until the end of July.

  8. 8.

    This is commonly observed in the most northerly salmon rivers (Power 1969; Lee and Power 1976; Beall 1994)

  9. 9.

    Combined with the escapement value, this indicator provides an estimate of the total potential number of eggs available for the river basin. For example, according to MIGRADOUR (www.migradour.com), technical structure in charge of the Atlantic salmon counting in the Adour basin, 4483 salmons escaped the fisheries in 2010, so the egg deposition for that year could be estimated to 21 millions of eggs for the whole salmon basin.

  10. 10.

    It’s also the case for others migratory fishes such as sea trout or shads.

  11. 11.

    It was important for the managers to know the optimal duration of the total net hauling zone in the estuary and to see if a staggered hauling regime between the lower and upper estuary enabled the harvesting rate of the salmon population migrating into the estuary to be minimized for the same number of days of hauling.

  12. 12.

    Speeds between 2 and 4 m/s during short periods of few seconds are not rare (Mahaut and Prouzet 2010).

  13. 13.

    11.2 tons of which for private human consumption.

  14. 14.

    Mainly the Adour estuary and the Bay of Mont Saint-Michel in Normandy.

  15. 15.

    Difficult to explain as it was not linked to an increase of the salmon run in all the others French salmon rivers perhaps a possible consequence of a successful restocking.

  16. 16.

    Without taking into account the numerous catches from the rod and line fishery that were sold also but not recorded.

  17. 17.

    The marine fisheries statistics gave for the period 1901–1925 an average landing of 58.8 tons of salmon per year for the maritime French fishery; statistics not taking into account the salmon caught by the “baro” fisheries and by anglers. (after de Drouin de Bouville 1943)

  18. 18.

    30 «baros» were registered at the end of the 19th century, 4 located on the Gaves caught a large number of salmon (Cuende and Prouzet 1992):Cauneille, Lahontan, Puyoo and Sordes.

  19. 19.

    Around 4.5 tons, in 2013, for the Adour estuary.

  20. 20.

    8,400 eggs per fish.

  21. 21.

    We count 2,250 hydroelectric power stations in France and 75,000 dams of different kinds. This number was higher in the 19th century, around 100,000, but at that time watercourses formed the principal means of communication and transport and the rivers were maintained and the migratory species abundant due to the maintenance of the river continuity (Rabic et al. 2010).

  22. 22.

    Annexe 3—rapport CREBS—INRA—sur les captures de poissons migrateurs dans les estuaires français depuis le milieu du 19ème siècle. 1987.

  23. 23.

    Annexe 8—rapport CREBS—INRA—sur les captures de poissons migrateurs dans les estuaires français depuis le milieu du 19ème siècle. 1987.

  24. 24.

    Less than 30 fishers catch salmon if we add the inland professional fishers with a social status of farmers and who have the right to fish in the fluvial part of the estuary (39 fishing licenses have been attributed in 2015).

  25. 25.

    The “baro” was banned in 1926 on the Adour-Gaves basin; the purse seine was banned in 1978; the rod and line is now used only for the recreational fishery and the salmon sale is prohibited for the leisure fishery.

  26. 26.

    To catch mullets, melgrim, migratory salmonids, shads, sea lamprey, sea bass, spotted sea bass.

  27. 27.

    The number of salmon incidental caught by gill nets along the coast is difficult to estimate, perhaps a few hundred.

  28. 28.

    In 2002, a report on the salmon migration on the Aulne river showed that only 5% of the spawners were able to migrate on the upper part of this river where 73% of the production areas for juvenile were located (Croze et al. 2002).

  29. 29.

    Prouzet—non published data. The total number of salmon caught in the tidal pond from 1983 to 1985 was 61 fish from a release of 40,614 smolts (rate of return 0.15%).

  30. 30.

    Over maturation for the spawner migrating towards spawning areas located far from the mouth (e.g. Allier river) or delayed of the downstream migration of smolts with an increase mortality during the sea water transfer.

  31. 31.

    It is the reason of the failure of the salmon restoration in the large salmon system in France.

References

  • Anonymous (1987) Les captures de poissons migrateurs dans les estuaries français depuis le milieu du XIXème siècle (Tableau B Annexe 7). Rapport CREBS-INRA Rennes Contrat DPMA, Novembre 1987. 48 pages + annexes

    Google Scholar 

  • Aravelo E (2013) Bilan des connaissances et propositions d’actions visant à restaurer la population de saumons atlantiques (Salmo salar L.) sur le gave de Pau. Mémoire M1 Dyn. Syst. Aqua., UPPA, contrat ONEZMA/ Agence de l’Eau Adour-Garonne, 98 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Baglinière J-L, Porcher J-P (1994) Caractéristiques des stocks de reproducteurs et comportement lors de la migration génésique. In: Guéguen J, Prouzet P (eds), Le Saumon Atlantique, 101–122

    Google Scholar 

  • Baglinière JL (2013) Les populations de saumon atlantique (Salmo salar) en France: Caractéristiques écologiques et migratoires, évolution face au changement global. Communication orale, 65 planches. Document INRA—Interreg

    Google Scholar 

  • Beall E (1994) Chapter 6 - Les phases de la reproduction. In Le saumon atlantique—Biologie et gestion de la ressource. In: Gueguen J, Prouzet P (eds), Edition Ifremer, 123–140

    Google Scholar 

  • Bégout-Anras M-L, Lagardère J-P, Gosset C, Rives J, Prouzet P (2001) Comportement migratoire et structures hydrodynamiques: suivi individuel par pistage des saumons atlantiques dans l’Adour. In: d’Elbée et P (eds) Océanographie du golfe de Gascogne, VIIème colloque international de Biarritz 4–6 avril 2000, Edition Ifremer, vol 31, 340–345

    Google Scholar 

  • Boeuf G (1994) La phase de préadaptation à la vie en mer: La smoltification. In: Guéguen J, Prouzet P (eds), Le Saumon Atlantique, 47–63

    Google Scholar 

  • Caudal L, Prévost E (2014) Etat du stock de saumon atlantique (Salmo salar) du Scorff (Bretagne Sud—France) en 2013. Rapport FDP 56—INRA, 26 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Chadwick EMP (1985) The influence of spawning stock on production and yield of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., in Canadian rivers. Aquaculture and Fisheries Management 1:111–119

    Google Scholar 

  • Croguennec E (2011) Rapport sur le suivi par vidéo-comptage de l’activité ichtyologique sur l’Aulne. Observatoire aquatique de Châteaulin. Rapport SMAT Aulne et Hyères, Contrat de Plan Etat—Région, 60 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Croze O, Senecal A, Woillez M (2002) Suivi par radiopistage de la migration anadrome du Saumon atlantique sur l’Aulne—Campagne 2000. GHAAPPE, RA03.01, 135 p. + annexes

    Google Scholar 

  • Cuende F-X, Prouzet P (1992) Comparison of Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., stocks exploited by commercial fisheries in the Adour Basin, France at the end of the 19 and 20th centuries. Aquac Fish Manag 23:373–383

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Cuende F-X, Prouzet P (1994) Le saumon en France: Exploitation, gestion et avenir. In: Guéguen J, Prouzet P (eds) Le Saumon Atlantique, 155–267

    Google Scholar 

  • Dartiguelongue J (2013) Contrôle du fonctionnement de la passe à poissons installée à Kerhamon sur la rivière Elorn. Suivi de l’activité ichtyologique en 2012. Rapport SCEA, 78 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Davaine P, Prouzet P (1994) La vie marine du saumon atlantique dans son aire de répartition géographique. In: Gueguen J, Prouzet P (eds), 64–86

    Google Scholar 

  • de Drouin de Bouville M (1943) Le saumon revient-il à sa rivière natale ou tout au moins à sa rivière d’origine. Bull Fr Piscic 123:10–27

    Google Scholar 

  • De Pontual H, Prouzet P (1987) Atlantic salmon, Salmo salar L., stock discriminationby scale-shape analysis. Aquac Fish Manag 18:277–289

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Dumas J, Prouzet P (2003) Variability of demographic parameters and population dynamics of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) in a southwest French river. ICES J Mar Sci 60:356–370

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Friedland KD et al (2000) Linkage between ocean climate, post-smolt growth and survival of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in the North Sea area. ICES J Mar Sci 57:419–429

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Gueguen J, Prouzet P (1994) Le Saumon Atlantique. Edition Ifremer, 330 p. ISBN: 2-905434-48-1

    Google Scholar 

  • Guyomard R (1994) La diversité génétique des populations de saumon atlantique. In: Gueguen J, Prouzet P (eds) Le Saumon Atlantique, 141–152

    Google Scholar 

  • Hasler AD (1960) Homing orientation in migrating fish. Ergebn Biol 23:94–115

    Google Scholar 

  • ICES (2015) ICES WGNAS report 2015. ICES advisory committee, ICES CM 2015/ACOM: 09, 332 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Kermarrec J-Y, Le Maout G (2013) Reconquête de l’Elorn et Pêche de loisir: Valeurs culturelle, sociologique et économique. Communication orale «Colloque des Saumons et des Hommes» Brioude octobre 2013, 34 planches

    Google Scholar 

  • King TL, Kalinowski ST, Schill WB, Spidle AP, Lubinski BA (2001) Population structure of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.): a range-wide perspective from microsatellite DNA variation. Mol Ecol 10:807–821

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Lange F, Carlut E, Prévost E, Servanty S (2015) Les populations de saumon, truites de mer et grandes aloses de la Nivelle en 2013. Rapport INRA—AQUAPOLE, 29p

    Google Scholar 

  • Larinier M, Gosset C (1994) La libre circulation des migrateurs. In: Guéguen J, Prouzet P (eds) Le Saumon Atlantique, chapitre 11, 197–217

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee RLG, Power G (1976) Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) of the Leaf River, Ungava Bay. J Fish Res Board Can 33:2616–2621

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Logrami (2013) Recueil de données biologiques sur les poissons migrateurs du bassin de la Loire. Rédacteurs. In: Bach JM, Parouty T, Léon C, Senecal A, Portafaix P, Guerit A, Le Peru Y, Baisez A (eds). Rapport d’activité du 01/01/12 au 31/12/12, Mar 2013, p 359

    Google Scholar 

  • Loizeau V, Tusseau-Vuillemin MH (2014) Marine ecosystems under toxic pressure. In: Vulnerability of coastal ecosystems and adaptation, Chapter 1, 1–64. In: Monaco A, Prouzet P (eds) ISTE—Wiley, Paris

    Google Scholar 

  • Michelet N (2014) Projet de règlement prévoyant une interdiction de la pêche au filet dérivant. Cas des pêcheries maritimes estuariennes françaises des façades atlantiques, Manche et mer du Nord. Note CNPMEM, juillet 2014, 13 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Perrier C (2010) Structure génétique des populations de saumon atlnatique en France. Thèse Université de Caen, 181 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Peyronnet A et al (2008) Different ocean climate factors control the marine survival of wild and hatchery Atlantic salmon Salmo salar in the north-east Atlantic Ocean. J Fish Biol 73:945–962

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Power G (1969) The salmon of Ungava Bay. Arct Inst North Am Tech Pap 22:72

    Google Scholar 

  • Prouzet P, Gaignon J-L (1982) Production de saumon atlantique (Salmo salar L.) juvéniles et adultes sur un ruisseau pépinière de Bretagne Nord (France) à partir d’une souche irlandaise. Rev Trav Inst Pêches marit, 454(2):155–174

    Google Scholar 

  • Prouzet P, Jézéquel M (1983) Caractéristiques des populations de saumon atlantique (Salmo salar L.) capturées à la ligne sur l’Elorn (rivière de Bretagne Nord) durant la période 1974–1981. Bull Fr Piscic 289:94–111

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prouzet P (1984) Caractéristiques du stock de saumon atlantique (Salmo salar L.) capturé à la ligne sur l’Aulne (rivère de Bretagne-Nord) durant la période 1973–1981). Rev Trav Inst Pêches Marit 46(4):285–298

    Google Scholar 

  • Prouzet P, Gaignon J-L (1985) Caractéristiques du stock de saumon atlantique d’un hiver de mer (Salmo salar L.) capturé sur l’Elorn de 1974 à 1984. Rev Trav Inst Pêches Marit 47(3 et 4):167–168

    Google Scholar 

  • Prouzet P, Martinet J-P (1989) Fécondité des saumons de plusieurs hivers de mer de la Nive. Rapport DRV/RH/St-Pée sur Nivelle, 10

    Google Scholar 

  • Prouzet P (1990) Stock characteristics of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in France: a review. Aquat Living Resourc 3:85–97

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Prouzet P, Martinet J-P, Cuende F-X (1997) Rapport sur la pêche des marins pêcheurs dans l’estuaire de l’Adour en 1996. Rapport Ifremer, 27 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Prouzet P, Lissardy M, Morandeau G, Cuende F-X (2001) La pêche maritime professionnelle dans l’estuaire de l’Adour en 2000: Importance économique et caractéristiques des captures de poissons migrateurs amphihalins. DRV/RST/RH/2001-08, 35 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Prouzet P (2010) Environnement et fonctionnement de populations halieutiques: Nécessité d’une approche systémique pour une gestion intégrée de ces ressources. Editions EUE, 138 p, ISBN 978-613-1-50462-4

    Google Scholar 

  • Prouzet P (2013) Le Saumon de l’Adour: Son voyage initiatique, sa pêche. Edition Pleine Page, 120 p. ISBN 978-2-36042-018-6

    Google Scholar 

  • Putman NF, Lohman KJ, Putman KJ, Quinn TP, Klimley AP, Noakes DLG (2013) Evidence for geomagnetic imprinting as a homing mechanism in Pacific Salmon. Current biology 23:312–316. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.cub.2012.12.041

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Quinn TP (1982) Intraspecific differences in sockeye salmon by compass orientation mechanisms. Proceedings of the salmon and trout migratory behavior symposium, Seattle, pp 79–85

    Google Scholar 

  • Rainelli P, Thibault M (1980) La fabuleuse richesse en saumons des rivières bretonnes d’autrefois, mythe ou réalité. Annales de Bretagne et des Pays de l’Ouest. Tome 87 4:697–713

    Google Scholar 

  • Rabic J, Allardi J, Prouzet P (2010) Goods and services offered by coastal, estuarine and inland ecosystems. In: International meeting of small scale professional sea and inshore fishers. The official records. (CNAPPED Publication), pp 22–26

    Google Scholar 

  • Reddin D, de Pontual H, Prouzet P (1992) A comparison of two techniques to discriminate continental origin of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) off West Greenland. Aquat Living Resour 5:81–88

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Sabatier de Lachadenède M (1939) Travaux piscicoles dans le bassin des Gaves. Bull Fr Piscic 116:97–109

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Schaffer WM, Elson PF (1975) The adaptative significance of variations in life history among local populations of Atlantic salmon in North America. Ecology 56(3):577–590

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Saunders RL and Bailey JK (1980). The importance of genetics in Atlantic Salmon management. NASRC report, 1, 13 p

    Google Scholar 

  • Valadou B (2014) Le saumon atlantique en France: vue d’ensemble. Présentation powerpoint, communication orale, 3rd june 2014, 3&ème assemblée générale de ‘OCSAN, France, 28 diapositives

    Google Scholar 

  • Vibert R (1994) Le saumon atlantique: Origine et caractéristiques essentielles. In: Guéguen J, Prouzet P (eds) Le Saumon Atlantique, pp 11–26

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. SFJO France, Paris, France

    Patrick Prouzet

  2. CNPMEM/CONAPPED, Paris, France

    Nicolas Michelet

Authors
  1. Patrick Prouzet
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Nicolas Michelet
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Corresponding author

Correspondence to Patrick Prouzet .

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. SFJO Japan, Masion franco-japonaise de Tokyo, Yokohama College of Commerce, Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute, The University of Tokyo, Tokyo, Japan

    Teruhisa Komatsu

  2. SFJO France, Académie des Sciences, Lettres et Arts de Marseille, Marseille, France

    Hubert-Jean Ceccaldi

  3. SFJO Japan, Masion franco-japonaise de Tokyo, Department of Ocean Sciences, Laboratory of Physics and Environmental Modeling, Tokyo University of Marine Science and Technology, Tokyo, Japan

    Jiro Yoshida

  4. SFJO France, Paris, France

    Patrick Prouzet

  5. Politique maritime et gouvernance, Correspondant Asie-Pacifique (JAMSTEC), Institut Français pour l’Exploitation de la Mer (Ifremer), Issy-les-Moulineaux, France

    Yves Henocque

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 2019 Springer Nature Switzerland AG

About this paper

Check for updates. Verify currency and authenticity via CrossMark

Cite this paper

Prouzet, P., Michelet, N. (2019). Ecological Status of Atlantic Salmon (Salmo Salar L.) in France: Need for an Ecosystemic Approach. In: Komatsu, T., Ceccaldi, HJ., Yoshida, J., Prouzet, P., Henocque, Y. (eds) Oceanography Challenges to Future Earth. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-030-00138-4_20

Download citation

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation