Lax i strida strömmar : Sportfisket som regional utvecklingsresurs

• Around the world, sportfishing of salmon is a big industry, examples of which are found in Norway, Iceland, Scotland, Russia, Canada, etc. As shown in many investigations, anglers are willing to spend a lot of time and money on this activity. In Sweden however, there are currently only a few waters with fully developed salmon and sea trout sportfishing i.e. Mörrumsån and Emån in southern Sweden. This study aims to describe the effects of an alternative way to use a nature resource - a future situation with a full scale sportfishing of salmon in northern Sweden. The areas of study are the two northernmost counties in Sweden: Norrbotten and Västerbotten. In this region we find 14 of the about 25 remaining river systems around the Baltic sea which still hold naturally reproducing salmon. As a result of waterpower exploitation and environmental hazards most of the around 70 former salmon rivers which contribute to the water of the Baltic basin are no longer salmon producing. From the remaining rivers in northern Sweden the contemporary catch by anglers is very low. During the last few years it was much less than 1 per cent of the total catch. Most salmons are instead caught by commercial fisheries in the southern part of the Baltic sea. It is estimated that the potential resource of wild salmon in the area studied could support an angling activity up to approx. 300 000 days. This, in return, could, by expenditures at the local level, lead to a total economic impact of about 200 million SEK per annum. Just from the river Byske alone, the economic impact could, according to an optimistic estimate, amount to 25 million SEK. Sportfishing is an important leisure activity for many people in Sweden. It is estimated that there are 40 000 anglers directly oriented towards salmon fishing. Furthermore, there is an additional number of Swedes who are likely to participate in this "big game" fishing. Moreover, there are many residents of neighbouring countries who are active anglers. Therefore the total number of potential anglers is considered to be sufficient for the number of salmon fishing days offered.

Ämnesord

SAMHÄLLSVETENSKAP  -- Social och ekonomisk geografi -- Kulturgeografi (hsv//swe)

SOCIAL SCIENCES  -- Social and Economic Geography -- Human Geography (hsv//eng)

Nyckelord

Baltic salmon

Salmon reproducing rivers

Northern Sweden

Norrbotten and Västerbotten counties

Future economic impact

Anglers

Fishing tourism

Regional development

Human geography

Kulturgeografi

Social and Economic Geography

kulturgeografi

Publikations- och innehållstyp

vet (ämneskategori)

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