Conservation of migratory salmonids requires understanding their ecology at multiple scales, combined with assessing anthropogenic impacts. We present a case-study from over 100 years of data for the endemic landlocked Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar, Salmonidae) and brown trout (Salmo trutta, Salmonidae) in Lake Vänern, Sweden. We use this case-study to develop life history-based research and monitoring priorities for migratory salmonids. In Vänern, small wild populations of salmon and trout remain only in the heavily regulated Rivers Klar (Klarälven) and Gullspång (Gullspångsälven), and commercial and sport fisheries are maintained by hatchery stocking. These populations represent some of the last remaining large-bodied (up to 20 kg) landlocked salmon stocks worldwide. We found that one of four stocks of wild fish has increased since 1996; the other three remain critically low. Hatchery return rates for three of four stocks appear stable at roughly 1% and annual fisheries catch is roughly 75 metric tons, with an estimated 7.5% of hatchery smolts being recruited to the fishery; this also appears relatively stable since 1990. Our analysis reveals much uncertainty in key data requirements, including both river return and fisheries catch rates, estimates of wild smolt production and survival, and hatchery breeding and genetics protocols. These uncertainties, coupled with a lack of information on their riverine and lacustrine ecology, preclude effective management of these unique populations. We conclude with a framework for a life history-based approach to research and monitoring for Vänern salmon and trout, which should be applicable for all endemic, migratory salmonid populations.

Relatively little is known about the downstream migration of landlocked stocks of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar L. smolts, as earlier migration studies have generally focused on upstream migration. However, in watersheds with many hydroelectric plants (HEPs), multiplicative loss of downstream-migrating salmon smolts can be high, contributing to population declines or extirpations. Here we report the results from a study of wild landlocked Atlantic salmon smolts in the River Klaralven. Salmon smolts, tagged with acoustic transmitters, were released at different locations and followed as they passed 37 receivers along a 180-km-long river segment, including eight dams as well as free-flowing control stretches. We found that 16% of the smolts successfully migrated along the entire river segment. Most losses occurred during HEP passages, with 76% of the smolts being lost during these passages, which contrasts with the 8% smolt loss along unregulated control stretches. Migration speed was 83% slower along regulated stretches than along unregulated stretches. The observed lower migration speed at regulated stretches was dependent on fish size, with large fish moving slower than small fish. Discharge affected migration speed but not losses. As previously shown for anadromous populations, our study of landlocked salmon demonstrates similar negative effects of multiple passages of HEPs by downstream-migrating smolts. On the basis of this and previous migration studies, we advocate using a holistic approach in the management and conservation of migratory fish in regulated rivers, which includes safe passage for both upstream- and downstream-migrating fish. Copyright (c) 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.