In a land far away (from Seattle), an amazing team of fish-loving fellows is working hard to bring back the greatest Atlantic salmon of them all: the Vosso. There are a few girls, too, several of them named Kristin.
Some of them put on dry suits and snorkel the rivers of Western Norway to gather data on spawning stock abundance. They track the migration route of young salmon to the ocean and monitor the timing of smoltification (the process a young fish goes through to transition from fresh to salt water). Some of them capture plankton from the shore and from the decks of ships tossed by the waves in a search for the elusive free-swimming sea louse.
They publish papers on best practices for salmonid restoration, including creation of new gravel beds and the best time to plant eggs and release salmon fry for run enhancement. They study spawning behavior and the effect of water quality, hydroelectric water regulation and sea lice on stock survival.
Locals living along the migration route of the Vosso salmon are also part of the team. Using knowledge and skills earned from their experience as fishermen before the Vosso salmon run collapsed, they use fishing nets to monitor salmon returns in the summer and fall. They offer their boats and their time for smolt tows and plankton sampling.
The passion and dedication of this group is infectious! It has been a privilege to return as part of the team this spring.
(Scroll all the way to the bottom of this page to see a photo gallery)
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