Farewell to the Salmon? Asturias Struggles to Save the 'King of the River'

• The Asturian government has implemented fishing bans due to plummeting salmon populations, though critics argue the measures are insufficient and lack comprehensive habitat protection.
• Salmon catches in Asturias fell to 108 this year, an 18% decrease from 2025 and a massive drop from the 1,134 caught in 2016.
• Experts insist that ending fishing is only the first step; restoring river ecosystems, stopping hatchery-based repopulation, and securing national protected status are critical for survival.

Policy and Management Failures

• While the Principality has begun restricted fishing, critics—including the association Saxífraga—argue the government maintains an economic, short-term vision, citing the continued tradition of the 'campanu' (the season's first salmon) auction.
• Biologist David Álvarez, a specialist in salmonids, argues that rivers are being managed like "pipes" rather than ecosystems. He advocates for including salmon in the national List of Wild Species under Special Protection (LESPRE) to force habitat intervention overseen by independent scientists.
• The Asturian government opposes LESPRE inclusion, fearing it would cede control to the central state, a move that environmental groups believe is essential to bypass local industry pressure.

Political Obstruction and Scientific Evidence

• Right-wing political parties (PP and Vox) have labeled fishing restrictions as the "criminalization" of fishermen, dismissing the critical status of the salmon as a natural fluctuation.
• These political factions often blame the decline on predatory birds like cormorants. However, scientists point out that despite the culling of over 5,000 cormorants, salmon populations have not improved.
• Nearby regions like the Basque Country, Navarre, and Galicia have already prohibited salmon fishing. Experts warn that unless Asturias moves toward comprehensive protection, the species may soon face irreversible extinction in Cantabrian rivers.