ICES WGTRUTTA* is a working group of the International Council for the Exploration of the Sea (ICES), whose main task is to develop a model to estimate the stock of sea trout Salmo trutta m. trutta. The group brings together scientists from the Baltic Sea, the Norwegian Sea, the North Sea as far as Portugal. Meetings are held twice a year in summer and autumn. This year NMFRI was responsible for organising the autumn meeting, which took place on 11-15.11.2024 at the ‘Hotel Gdańsk’. The direct organisers of the event were Dr. Katarzyna Nadolna-Ałtyn and Dr.Eng. Adam Lejk from NMFRI, with the support of Dr.Eng. Rafał Bernaś, Prof. of the Stanislaw Sakowicz Inland Fisheries Institute. The meeting was attended by more than 30 people. The work was divided into four teams: (1) juvenile stock assessment; (2) creation of databases compatible with the needs of other ICES working groups; (3) development of a stock assessment model; (4) stock management issues.
A field trip was also organised during the meeting. Thanks to the kindness and hospitality of PZW Słupsk, at the spawning stock collection point, the participants were acquainted with the actions for the protection of the sea trout resources of the Słupia River and its tributaries. The meeting participants also had the opportunity to observe the process of collecting eggs for stocking purposes. In addition, the place where the first trout counter in Poland was installed on the River Słupia was shown, as well as artificial spawning grounds. Finally, the participants viewed the natural spawning grounds in the upper river basin of the Słupia River, as well as the fish ladder in Skarszewo Dolne on the Skotawa River, which was put into use this year. We would like to take this opportunity to thank Wojciech Sobiegraj M.Sc. from PZW Słupsk and Dr.Eng. Rafał Bernaś for their commitment and organisation of an interesting trip, which aroused great interest among the participants of the ICES WGTRUTTA working group.
* Working Group to develop and test assessment methods for Sea trout populations (anadromous Salmo trutta) (WGTRUTTA)
ICES WGTRUTTA participants at a spawner catch site on the Słupia River (photo: K. Nadolna-Ałtyn)
Extraction of eggs from a female sea trout (photo: K. Nadolna-Ałtyn)
