Salmon returns to Tornio River surge, numbers multiply in three years

Salmon runs in the Tornio and Simo rivers have surged this summer, with counts far exceeding the same period in the past three years, according to migration tracking by Finland’s Natural Resources Institute (Luke).

By 7 July, 36,829 salmon had ascended the Tornio River and 1,843 the Simo River. Over the same period in the previous three years, the Tornio River saw roughly 11,000–18,000 salmon, while the Simo River recorded 1,000–1,400.

Daily counts began climbing around Midsummer, driven largely by two-sea-winter fish weighing 4–8 kg. Atso Romakkaniemi, a senior researcher at Luke, said the weaker runs in 2023–2024 were partly due to higher natural mortality during marine migration, but survival rates improved in 2024, with early signs appearing last summer when one-sea-winter salmon returned in unusually high numbers.

Commercial salmon catches in the Gulf of Bothnia have been sparse this season, with Finnish fishermen landing about 5,100 salmon—900 fewer than the same period last year. Finland’s quota in the gulf has shrunk from 27,000 salmon a few years ago to roughly 6,600 this year.

Jenni Prokkola, another Luke senior researcher, said the reduced quotas aim to ensure more salmon reach spawning grounds, a priority this year in particular.

Sweden has also tightened restrictions on the Gulf of Bothnia and Tornio River, limiting anglers to two salmon per season. Recreational fishermen must report their catches to Luke, for example via the Omakala app.