Sea catches of salmon and sea trout

Name: Sea catches of salmon and sea trout.
Topic: Agriculture, forestry, hunting and fishing.

Division for Housing, Property, Spatial and Agricultural Statistics.

Figures for each municipality, county and national figures.

Annual. Figures are published in November the same year as the fishing has taken place.

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 purpose of the statistics is to provide detailed information on catches of anadromous salmonids.

Until 1966, the information was obtained from both the Inspectorate for Freshwater Fishing and the Directorate of Fisheries. From 1966-1992, the information came from the salmon fishery boards. As from 1993 the statistics are based upon catch journals mailed directly to Statistics Norway by the fishermen themselves. From 2017, the fishermen can also report their catch electronically on the internet.

From 1979, information from drift net fishing was collected in the fishermen's own catch diaries, and no longer through the salmon fishery boards. Drift net fishing was banned from 1989, and fishing with bend nets was restricted. From and including 2022, bend net fishing is prohibited.

From 2019, the fishermen must report fish that are released back into the sea (catch and release).

As from 2019 catches on migratory char, rainbow trout and pink salmon have been collected.

Catch statistics are an important source of information for nature management, the media, special interest organizations and other actors. Scientists use the statistics to evaluate changes in stocks and to compute the socio-economic importance of salmon fishing.

Norway is also obligated to report its 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 river fishing for salmon, sea trout and migratory char 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).

The population is defined by the "Sjøfangstregisteret" (an officials website for registering fishermen and fishing grounds) and includes everyone who has registered for fishing in the current year. The unit of analysis is the catch of salmon, sea trout, migratory char, rainbow trout and pink salmon taken with stationary fishing gear in Norwegian fjords in the period from 1 June to 4 August.

All fishermen have to report their catches, either electronically or in catch journals received from The County Governor.

The statistics of sea fishing is based on catch journals from the fishermen themselves and sent to Statistics Norway by the end of the fishing season. Sjøfangstregisteret enables Statistics Norway to send reminders to fishermen, asking for missing catch journals.

Editing is defined here as checking, examining and amending data. Statistics Norway transmits the data from catch journals to electronic format. Machine controls are in place to identify incorrect data entry. Logical errors and incorrect data are corrected on this basis.

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.

Every fourth or fifth year, the Norwegian Environment Agency have a major revision of the fishing rules. These regulations of fishing may have affected the statistics.

From 1989 fishing with drift nets was forbidden and fishing with bend nets was restricted. In 2008, the fishing season was heavily regulated. Several restrictions on the fishing season also came in 2010.

From 2021, futher strong regulations were introduced. Sea fishing for salmon is divided into 10 coastal regions and 37 fjord regions. Parts of Finnmark and the nine coastal regions south of Finnmark were not opened to salmon fishing with stationary fishing gear in 2021.

From 2022, fishing with bend nets is forbidden.

New organization of data collection in 1993 also makes it uncertain whether the statistics for 1993 and later can be compared with figures from earlier years.

Machine controls are in place to identify incorrect data entry. Logical errors and incorrect data are corrected on this basis.

Not relevant