Asturias bans salmon fishing to protect declining populations

The Government of Asturias has announced a total ban on salmon fishing in the region due to a severe decline in the species. This decision includes the suspension of the ‘campanu’, the traditional capture and auction of the first salmon of the season, which will end by 2027.

While salmon fishing is being prohibited, the regional government has decided to continue allowing the capture of the European eel (angula), despite the species being in critical danger of extinction and facing calls for total protection from international experts.

The regional administration also plans to request that the Ministry for the Ecological Transition (MITECO) halt the process of adding the Atlantic salmon to the List of Wild Species under Special Protection Regime (Lespre), a move currently supported by the Spanish central government.