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Pink Salmon

Status: Established

Habitat: Marine/Freshwater   

Threat: Threat to native salmon species

Description

  • steel-blue to blue-green colouring on backs, silver on flanks and white on bellies
  • large black spots on backs, upper flanks, adipose fins and tail
  • uniform in size, reaching only 40–60cms in length.

Information

  • non-native species, originated in Russian commercial net fisheries
  • competes with the native salmon for food
  • in summer 2017, increased instances of pink salmon reported from angling catches in west and north of Ireland, and in Britain.

Consequence

  • may affect indigenous salmon populations by, for example, introducing parasites and pathogens.

Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II

21 April 1926 to 8 September 2022