June Salmon Watch Ireland newsletter
The June edition of the Salmon Watch Ireland newsletter is out and they’re highlighting two issues:
The decline of Ireland’s pearl mussels and how that links to our Atlantic salmon decline
The freshwater heatwave and its implications for wild salmon juveniles
From the newsletter:
Pearl Mussels & Salmon
Host specificity: Pearl mussels are highly selective. In western Irish rivers like the Bundorragha (Delphi), salmon are often the only successful hosts.
Genetic integrity of salmon matters: Farmed salmon may carry maladaptive traits. Hybridisation with wild salmon through escapees could disrupt this crucial host-parasite relationship by reducing the suitability of salmon gills for mussel development.
Healthy salmon populations are vital: Rivers with declining salmon numbers (due to barriers, pollution, or salmon farming impacts) show collapse in mussel recruitment.
Freshwater Heatwave
Extremely low rivers, rapidly warming water temperatures, land surface temperatures soaring, poor vegetation growth and no real outlook of cooling temperatures or significant rainfall in near future affect juvenile salmon in a highly negative manner.
We are also concerned that adult Atlantic salmon entering estuarine waters may experience increased predation from seals as they may become trapped in tidal waters and may be reluctant to enter freshwater due to low flows and high temperatures.
We are also concerned that a higher proportion of MSW salmon may be harvested from rivers with commercial netting during May and we are requesting that limitations should be introduced if catches are higher than normal.
For more, visit Salmonwatchireland.ie
You can also donate and support their work by contacting them via email: Salmonwatchireland@gmail.com.