Report of the Study Group on Anadromous Trout

The natural distribution of anadromous brown trout (Salmo trutta L.) is Iimited by water temperature, dissolved oxygen, spawning conditions, habitat access, food availability, pollutants, biological competition, predation and human exploitation. naturally, this species is distributed in western Europe along Atlantic and Baltic coasts from the White Sea in the north-east to Spain in the South-West. Population abundance is good to satisfactory in many countries. The distribution has been reduced by physical encroachment in water courses, loss of habitats and pollution as e.g. in lower parts of the North Sea area (France, Belgium, Netherlands and Germany).