Featured photo: Mature male pink salmon with characteristic humpback and spotted tail – Photo credit: Eva Thorstad, NINA
Inland Fisheries Ireland (IFI) is urging anglers to report any sightings of Pacific pink salmon in Irish rivers this summer.
The fish appeared in unprecedented numbers in multiple river systems in Ireland’s west, northwest, and southwest in previous years.
Pacific pink salmon (aka Humpback salmon) is a non-native species that poses a competitive and disruptive threat to the survival of native Atlantic salmon and sea trout.
They also pose a threat to estuarine and coastal marine fish species – and the ecosystems they depend on.
The salmon species predominantly has a two-year lifecycle, and may reappear in rivers this year, and every second, so called ‘odd’, year thereafter.
Dr Michael Millane, Senior Research Officer at IFI said: “We are appealing to anglers, and other water users, to quickly contact us please regarding any encounters they have with pink salmon.
“As these fish die after spawning, some dead specimens could also be seen along our rivers.“
Inland Fisheries Ireland’s guide to help identify pink salmon is available here.
Pink salmon are blue-green to steel blue on the back, with silver sides and a white underbelly. They can be distinguished by several unique characteristics, which are different to Atlantic salmon, notably:
- Large black oval spots on the tail
- 11-19 rays on the anal fin
- Very small scales– much smaller than a similarly-sized Atlantic Salmon
- No dark spots on the gill cover
- Upper jaw typically extends beyond the eye
- Males develop a pronounced humpback on entering freshwater
Anglers, or the public, can report findings of pink salmon to IFI’s 24/7 phone number, 0818 34 74 24, or via info@fisheriesireland.ie. They are also asked to:
- Photograph the fish;
- Retain the salmon and don’t put it back into the water (even in rivers only open for catch-and-release angling);
- Record the date and location of capture, and its length/weight, and;
- Tag the fish and present it to IFI staff, and a new tag will be issued to replace the tag used.
The nearest local IFI staff will arrange collection of the fish for further examination.
