Warm Winter Pushes Irish Salmon Stocks Into Early Migration, With Disastrous Results - BBC

[hatrack]

It is the king of fish but even the mighty salmon is feeling the heat generated by climate change. And on the river Bush scientists say that warmer winters are confusing the young salmon. Believing it is springtime, the juvenile fish are leaving the safety of the river and heading out to sea where many perish.

Richard Kennedy, one of the scientists at the Bush Salmon Station, says the timing of the annual migration of the young fish is crucial to their chance of survival. "Ten years ago the first smolt that would have left the river Bush would have done so towards the middle to the end of April, but that seems to be changing and now first departures can be as early as the beginning of March," says Richard.

Out in the Atlantic, life is bleak for those young salmon. Greedy gulls have quickly learned that the migration is now starting up to six weeks earlier and see the trickle of young fish as easy prey.

Nature intended migrations to be concentrated so as to give predators a narrow window of opportunity. But now the seals are also picking off the young salmon as they head out into the Atlantic. Usually around a third of the young fish which leave the river Bush survive to return here the following year to spawn. But now with warmer winters triggering a false start to the migration, only six in every 100 salmon make it back here to breed.

EDIT

http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/uk_news/northern_ireland/6326217.stm

[fed-up]

1. k/r n/t

[GliderGuider]

2. "Grandpa, what did fish taste like back when you were young?"

"Shut up and finish your cousin before he gets cold."

[tom_paine]

3. It hurts to laugh, but I'll tell you one thing...

...I don't know that I pity anyone more than whoever is unlucky enough to be alive in 2100 (unless I am mistaken about the nightmare than is probably only 50 years away or less.