Atlantic Salmon at Risk: Apparent Rapid Declines in Effective Population Size in Southern European Populations

作者：Horreo J L; Machado Schiaffino G; Griffiths A M; Bright D; Stevens J R; Garcia Vazquez E^*

来源：Transactions of the American Fisheries Society, 2011, 140(3): 605-610.

DOI：10.1080/00028487.2011.585574

Populations of southern European Atlantic salmon Salmo salar are subjected to exploitation by sportfishing and exhibit evidence of dramatic catch reduction for the same fishing effort over recent history. We employed nine microsatellite loci as markers to estimate effective population sizes of Atlantic salmon in five rivers of northern Spain for comparison with 1990s data describing the same populations; marked declines in effective population sizes over the last decade were detected, and a reduced census size is proposed to be one of the probable causes. These estimates highlight the endangered status of the Atlantic salmon populations in northern Spain. A reduction in fishing effort and an increase in protective measures are recommended for the conservation of these fragile populations at the southernmost edge of the species' natural distribution.

• 出版日期2011-5