River catch

Updated: 27 January 2023

Next update: 26 January 2024

Salmon caught and released
Salmon caught and released
2022
27 189
River catch of salmon, sea trout, migratory char, rainbow trout and pink salmon
River catch of salmon, sea trout, migratory char, rainbow trout and pink salmon
Number
20192020202120221
Slaughtered fish
Atlantic salmon83 17994 59256 86570 111
Sea trout30 98834 18222 48724 734
Migratory char4 8415 0884 2123 381
Rainbow trout12481170177
Pink salmon13 92547111 80381
Caught and released fish
Atlantic salmon21 17228 75221 35727 189
Sea trout10 75611 52311 12410 539
Migratory char1 0691 5451 0451 344
12022: Preliminary figures
Explanation of symbols

Selected tables and charts from this statistics

  • River catch of slaughtered salmon, sea trout and migratory char. Preliminary figures
    River catch of slaughtered salmon, sea trout and migratory char. Preliminary figures
    Number
    Catch, totalAtlantic salmon, by weight of fishSea troutMigratory char
    TotalLess than 3 kg3 - 7 kg7 kg and over
    2022
    The whole country1 98 22670 11137 14924 5518 41124 7343 381
    Oslo og Viken1 6271 0912655722545360
    Vestfold og Telemark3 5833 4931 3571 667469900
    Agder5 6194 9933 2161 6431346260
    Rogaland11 64711 5186 2444 0911 1831290
    Vestland6 4874 8841 6512 6116221 5976
    Møre og Romsdal10 7759 2934 9143 7236561 4820
    Trøndelag - Trööndelage18 43815 9737 4435 5422 9882 4650
    Nordland11 3373 8652 7629701336 4061 066
    Troms og Finnmark - Romsa ja Finnmárku28 71315 0019 2973 7321 97211 4032 309
    1The Tana Watercourse was not opened for salmon fishing.
    Explanation of symbols
  • Catch of salmon from selected rivers. Preliminary figures
    Catch of salmon from selected rivers. Preliminary figures
    KiloNumber
    Salmon, totalSlaughtered salmonCaught and released salmonSalmon, totalSlaughtered salmonCaught and released salmon
    2022
    Drammenselva5 2685 26809369360
    Numedalslågen14 44713 9954523 3293 223106
    Otra3 1803 101791 2381 20038
    Mandalselva9 0368 2058313 1442 859285
    Bjerkreimselva9 9249 4324923 8943 697197
    Ogna2 4522 396561 00598322
    Håelva2 0661 703363849709140
    Figgjo2 0981 85324578870385
    Etneelva2 4121 998414576453123
    Lærdalselva1 635401 5952407233
    Bondalselva3 1473 14701 0351 0350
    Drivavassdraget3 6533 6015268967514
    Surna incl. Rinna4 0363 280756812626186
    Stordalselva in Åfjord1 5171 4833443642610
    Orkla32 02410 09421 9306 3162 1124 204
    Gaulavassdraget34 31613 04621 2706 4202 2424 178
    Namsenvassdraget21 77520 3301 4455 1274 758369
    Stjørdalsvassdraget10 0906 7243 3662 3091 411898
    Årgårdsvassdraget2 0821 94214099293260
    Vefsnavassdraget7 0431 7215 3221 4613871 074
    Beiarvassdraget5 4277524 6751 114286828
    Målselvvassdraget11 82311 1576662 2562 122134
    Reisavassdraget (Nordreiselva)306330373271
    Vestre Jakobselv4 6911 7232 9681 397633764
    Altavassdraget18 52911 7356 7942 9762 130846
    Repparfjordelva incl. Skaidijohka8 4726 2062 2663 1572 326831
    Stabburselva Vesterbotn2 2631 1511 112528303225
    Lakselva in Porsanger5 5542 2373 317933413520
    Tana incl. tributaries (Norwegian part)1 431211
    Neidenelva (Norwegian part)3 1162 0041 112839604235
    1Tana was not opened for salmon fishing.
    Explanation of symbols
  • Catch and release of salmon, sea trout and migratory char. Preliminary figures
    Catch and release of salmon, sea trout and migratory char. Preliminary figures
    Number
    Catch, totalAtlantic salmon, by weight of fishSea trout and migratory char
    TotalLess than 3 kg3 - 7 kg7 kg and over
    2022
    The whole country1 39 07227 18911 0369 9826 17111 883
    Oslo og Viken22717175672956
    Vestfold og Telemark14310639491837
    Agder86145830413024403
    Rogaland2 0101 302620432250708
    Vestland4 2232 3285291 1746251 895
    Møre og Romsdal2 6281 5145417562171 114
    Trøndelag - Trööndelage12 88110 6443 9203 9602 7642 237
    Nordland6 5593 9971 4291 6449242 562
    Troms og Finnmark - Romsa ja Finnmárku1 9 5406 6693 5791 7701 3202 871
    1The Tana Watercourse was not opened for salmon fishing.
    Explanation of symbols
  • Catch of pink salmon and rainbow trout the latest 4 years
    Catch of pink salmon and rainbow trout the latest 4 years
    Pink salmonRainbow trout
    KiloNumberKiloNumber
    201921 11313 925103124
    2020714713281
    2021190 968111 803204170
    202212281187177
    Explanation of symbols

About the statistics

The statistics provides an overview of river catch of salmon, sea trout and migratory char, whether the fish are slaughtered or caught and released.

Anadromous

Term referring to animals that regularly migrate from the ocean up the rivers to spawn.

Weight

The weight is stated in kilos live weight.

Before 1993 salmon were broken down into two groups: salmon under 3 kilos and salmon 3 kilos or more. Since 1993 salmon are divided into the following groups: under 3 kilos, between 3 and 6.9 kilos and 7 kilos and over.

Name: River catch
Topic: Agriculture, forestry, hunting and fishing

26 January 2024

Division for Housing, Property, Spatial and Agricultural Statistics

Figures for each river and county.

Annual. Preliminary figures are published in January the year after the fishing has taken place. Final figures are published in Statbank about two months later.

The Norwegian Environment Agency forwards data to NASCO (North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization).

Collected and revised data are stored securely by Statistics Norway in compliance with applicable legislation on data processing.

Statistics Norway can grant access to the source data (de-identified or anonymised microdata) on which the statistics are based, for researchers and public authorities for the purposes of preparing statistical results and analyses. Access can be granted upon application and subject to conditions. Refer to the details about this at Access to data from Statistics Norway.

The statistics provide information on catches of anadromous salmonids in Norwegian rivers. The statistics cover a time series from 1876 and are vital elements in national and international monitoring and management work related to anadromous salmonoids.

From 1963-1992 the information came from the salmon fishery boards. As from 1993 the statistics are based upon reports collected by The County Governor. From 2004, the landowners reports the catch electronically via https://fangstrapp.no

As from 2009 catch and release are included.

As from 2019 catch of migratory char, rainbow trout and pink salmon are included.

Catch statistics are an important source of information for nature management, the media and various organizations and groups. Scientists use the statistics to evaluate changes in stocks and to estimate the socio-economic importance of salmon fishing.

Norway is also obligated to report annual catch statistics to NASCO (North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization).

No external users have access to statistics before they are released at 8 a.m. on ssb.no after at least three months’ advance notice in the release calendar. This is one of the most important principles in Statistics Norway for ensuring the equal treatment of users.

Figures on sea catches of salmon and sea trout are presented on the Internet.

The statistics are developed, produced and disseminated pursuant to Act no. 32 of 21 June 2019 relating to official statistics and Statistics Norway (the Statistics Act).

Not relevant

The population is defined by " Lakseregisteret - Rapportering av elvefangst " at https://fangstrapp.no. Catch reports from the fishermen are added up to a total catch in rivers/watercourses. The statistics include catches of salmon, sea trout, migratory char, rainbow trout and pink salmon caught in Norwegian rivers. Escaped farmed fish are included in the statistics. From 2009, the statistics also include fish caught and released.

Catch reports from the fishermen has been summarized and compiled into information for each river in the national base on https://fangstrapp.no

Catch reports from the individual fisherman are collected by landowners, who send a summary catch report to the County Governor or enter data in the national base "Lakseregisteret - Rapportering av elvefangst " at https://fangstrapp.no. The County Governor are responsible for reporting complete figures for each river in this base, and from this base Statistics Norway downloads a complete file.

Editing is defined here as checking, examining and amending data. Data is transferred to an editing system and computerized controls are applied. If necessary, the county governors are contacted to assess the data.

Not relevant

Employees of Statistics Norway have a duty of confidentiality.

Statistics Norway does not publish figures if there is a risk of the respondent’s contribution being identified. This means that, as a general rule, figures are not published if fewer than three units form the basis of a cell in a table or if the contribution of one or two respondents constitutes a very large part of the cell total.

Statistics Norway can make exceptions to the general rule if deemed necessary to meet the requirements of the EEA agreement, if the respondent is a public authority, if the respondent has consented to this, or when the information disclosed is openly accessible to the public.

More information can be found on Statistics Norway’s website under Methods in official statistics, in the ‘Confidentiality’ section.

The collection of data was reorganized in 1993. Previously, fishery boards collected data and sent reports from each salmon district and river to Statistics Norway. An own salmon tax resulted in that the reported figures could be unreliable. In 1993, the county governors started submitting reports, and after that there is reason to belive that the data quality has become better and better.

The number of rivers with reported catch has increased over time. From the begginning in the 1870s only 54 rivers were included. In the 1960s the number of rivers with reported catch had incresed to 170. In the last few years more than 400 rivers were included in the statistics.

In 1989, 15 per cent of the rivers were closed by different reasons. In 2011, 25 per cent of the rivers were closed. In additon, the last few years quotas from one to three fishes per person in a 24-hour period is introduced.

Over time there has been regulations that has influenced on the statistics. As from 1980, fishing gear as salmon trap and fish net was forbidden in most rivers except Numedalslågen and the county of Finnmark. The average fishing period for salmon fishing by fishing rods or handline is reduced from 200 days in 1850 to 75 days in 2010.

The statistics give a picture of the catch reported in the rivers. Investigations have shown that the real catch is somewhat higher. The Norwegian Environment Agency estimates an addition for unreported catches when they report to NASCO.

Not relevant

Contact