The Nordic countries may be known for their salmon, but there’s one situation here that they could have done without. It must be said that the Tenojoki (in Finnish) or Tanaelva (in Norwegian) river that crosses the two nations is a shadow of its former self.
Known as the largest Atlantic salmon river in the world and for the purity of its water, it is now full of rotting fish that emit a disgusting smell. The cause is the arrival of Pacific salmon, an invasive species that prompted the Norwegian and Finnish governments to declare a state of emergency and develop a joint strategy.
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Decomposing fish
“The water and banks of the river are full of rotting fish whose skin is peeling off, and the air is filled with the smell of rotting flesh. It’s a mess. It’s quite dramatic,” says Aino Erkinaro, a Guardian doctoral student at the University of Oulu in Finland. And it smells so bad now.”
These Pacific pink salmon were introduced to the Kola Peninsula in Russia in the 1950s to stimulate the economy. They live in the oceans and come up the same rivers every two years to lay their eggs and then die. But over the years, these invasive fish have moved west. A phenomenon that is exacerbated by global warming.
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An impact on the environment
Then a question arises. Why don’t Norway and Finland, which have strong salmon industries, catch this invasive species?
As Eirik Frøiland from the Norwegian Environment Agency explains: “Hypothetically, pink salmon would be good to eat if caught at sea or immediately after entering the river – i.e. mainly on Norwegian territory – but because this species is so new and smaller than Atlantic salmon “There is no industry for it and few people have the license to fish and sell it.”
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For his part, Tapio Hakaste from the Finnish Ministry of Agriculture and Forestry points out that upstream on Finnish territory, “Pacific pink salmon spawn, die and rot quickly – which means that the possibility of catching and eating them is too great.” In short: they are an invasive species, especially for the Sami people living in the valley. Atlantic salmon and traditional fishing methods have been the cornerstone of indigenous culture for centuries.
Experts are concerned about the impact of Pacific pink salmon on local species such as Atlantic salmon, whose populations are in dire straits. The impact of this invasive species on the ecosystem is currently unknown. But scientists fear that Pacific salmon carry pathogens that could infect native animals. They could also displace Atlantic salmon by consuming their food sources and occupying their habitat.
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