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Fish kills of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and brown trout (Salmo trutta) in an acidified river of SW Norway

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Abstract

This paper documents population responses of Atlantic salmon and brown trout to fish kills in River Vikedal, an acidified river in SW Norway. The angling statistics show that the adult population of Atlantic salmon in the river has decreased to low numbers during recent years, whereas catches of migrant brown trout have increased in the same period. A total of 659 dead salmon and trout were either collected or observed during spring snowmelt in the years 1982–1985. Parr suffered the highest mortality, and most large specimens. Only a few dead kelts were registered. In the springs of most unfavourable water quality and most severe episods of fish kills (1983 and 1984), salmon parr mortality were significantly higher than that of brown trout. Episodic death of parr in the spring is thought to be an important cause of the reduction in the adult stock of Atlantic salmon in the river during recent years.

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  1. Directorate for Nature Management, Fish Research Division, Tungasletta 2, N-7000, Trondheim, Norway

    Trygve Hesthagen

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  1. Trygve Hesthagen
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Hesthagen, T. Fish kills of Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) and brown trout (Salmo trutta) in an acidified river of SW Norway. Water Air Soil Pollut 30, 619–628 (1986). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF00303325

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