Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) in Subdivision 32 (Gulf of Finland)

ICES advises that when the precautionary approach is applied, fishing mortality on wild salmon from the Gulf of Finland should  be  as  low  as  possible.  Most  of  the  salmon  in  the  Gulf  of  Finland  are  of  reared  origin.  Effort  in  fisheries  catching  salmon should not increase and improved measures to focus selection on the reared stocks should be implemented. Such measures  should  include  relocation  of  coastal  fisheries  away  from  sites  likely  to  be  on  the  migration  paths  of  Gulf  of  Finland wild salmon. Fin-clipping of reared salmon stocks would allow to distinguish wild from non-wild salmon and assist in  identifying  the  locations  with  wild  salmon  and  fisheries  on  wild  salmon.  Relocation  of  fisheries  away  from  rivers  and  rivers  mouths  supporting  wild  stocks,  or  mixed  stocks  with  only  supportive  releases,  should  also  be  considered.  Wild  salmon should be protected from poaching when they return to rivers.
Assuming that the amount of reared salmon released in 2015 is similar to previous years, the total commercial sea catch in 2016 should not exceed 11 800 salmon (where the fisheries selection should be focused on the reared stocks). Applying the  same  proportions  estimated  to  have  occurred  in  2014,  this  catch  would  be  split  as  follows:  10%  unwanted  catch  (previously  referred  to  as  discards)  and  90%  wanted  catch  (83%  reported  and  7%  unreported).  Setting  a  TAC  under  a  discard ban needs to take account of wanted and unwanted catch. In setting the TAC, consideration should also be given to expected unreporting levels in 2016.
Effort  in  the  salmon  fishery  in  the  Main  Basin  (Subdivisions  24-29)  should  not  increase,  as  wild  salmon  from  the  Gulf  of  Finland use the Main Basin as a feeding area.