Salmon and sea trout spawning migration in the River Tweed: telemetry-derived insights for management

Abstract

Management of multiple exploited stocks of anadromous salmonids in large catchments requires understanding of movement and catchment use by the migrating fish and of their harvesting. The spawning migration of sea trout (Salmo trutta) and Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) was studied in the River Tweed, UK, using acoustic telemetry to complement exploitation rate data and to quantify catchment penetration. Salmon (n = 79) and sea trout (n = 65) were tagged in the tidal-influenced Tweed in summer–autumn. No tagged salmon left the river before spawning, but 3% (2010) and 8% (2011) of pre-spawning sea trout dropped out. Combined tag regurgitation/fish mortality in salmon was 12.5%, while trout mortality was 6% (2010) and 0% (2011). The estimated spawning positions of salmon and sea trout differed; tagged salmon were mostly in the main channel while trout occurred mostly in the upper Tweed and tributaries. Early fish migrated upstream slower than later fish, but sea trout moved through the lower-middle river more quickly than salmon, partly supporting the hypothesis that the lower exploitation rate in autumn of trout (1 vs 3.3% for salmon) there is generated by differences in migration behaviour.