Salmon return to rivers in Pomorze Srodkowe

Salmon were nearly extinct in rivers in Pomorze Srodkowe by the mid-1980s. This occurred as a result of polluted water, numerous dams and barriers without salmon ladders, as well as poachers.

Salmon migrate from the northern part of the Atlantic Ocean as well as its catchments - the North Sea and the Baltic Sea. This is a dual-habitat fish - it lives and hunts in the sea, but to spawn, it swims upriver, up to several hundred kilometers. The females lay eggs, approximately 1000 tiny eggs per 1 kg of body mass, into a prepared nest. Young salmon live in rivers for 2-3 years, and then swim to the sea where they finish growing and eat intensely. After another 2-3 years, they reach maturity and return to the river to reproduce. They measure 75 to 150 cm in length and weigh 5 to 30 kg. The majority of salmon die immediately after reproducing; only a few survive.

The Green Federation of Szczecin sponsored the tests returning the salmon to the rivers in Pomorza Srodkowego. The University of Szczecin, the Polish Fisherman's Club, veterinarians and other institutions assisted the Green Federation. In 1997, four thousand small, artificially-reared salmon were released into the Regi River. A portion of them will return this year to spawn. In the years following the release, the number of young fish increased, and this year approximately 170 thousand were counted.

After the initial stocking of salmon, the Parsete River was also stocked. In mid-October 2001, 70 thousand young salmon reared in Miastku were released into the Parsete and its tributaries from Grzmiaca to Koszalin. The exact location was not revealed so as to protect the salmon from poachers. Salmon remember how the water where they mature tastes, and they return to the same location to reproduce. This kind of stocking will create permanent breeding sites in the rivers of Pomorze Srodkowe for salmon. Of course, a portion of young salmon won't survive, but with females being especially fertile, the chances of breeding success are high.

It's worth noting that the State Fund for Environmental Protection and Water Stewardship sponsored the salmon stocking of the Parsete River. ONZ - Global Environmental Fund also contributed to the project, as did many unpaid individuals, mainly because they all want the salmon to return to Polish rivers.