Abundance indices and biological traits of juvenile salmon (Salmo salar) sampled in three rivers on the Atlantic and Channel coasts (France)

Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) is an anadromous migratory species adapted to cool temperatures. It is protected by the Bern convention and by the European Habitats Directive. It has been listed as vulnerable by the French IUCN Red List. Salmon decline is the result of combined and cumulated, mainly anthropic, causes: climate change, increasingly high number of impoundments, degradation of water quality and habitat and over-exploitation by fisheries. Monitoring of this species has been carried out on three rivers in France (Southern part of the distribution area) to produce data and knowledge (growth, precocious maturity, survival) for stock management.

For 24 years, a specific and standardised electric fishing protocol has been used to target young-of-the-year (0+ parr) Atlantic salmon. Sampling was restricted to areas with shallow running water that flows over a coarse bottom substrate, i.e. the preferred habitat of young salmon. This monitoring and inventory of growing areas thus allows assessment of juvenile recruitment and provides baseline data required to calculate total allowable catches (TACs).

The dataset currently consists of 47,077 occurrence data points from 105 sites spanning up to 24 years in three different watersheds in France. Beyond our project, this dataset has a clear utility to research since it associates abundance measurements with the measurement of biological traits and the collection of tissue samples. It allows for current and retrospective characterisation of individuals or populations, according to life history traits and genetic features in relation to changes in environmental conditions. The fact that the monitoring takes place in France, the southern part of the distribution area, over 24 years, makes the dataset particularly relevant for climate change studies.