Up-to-date report from River Ilmenau - 18.09.2016
giant Salmon found dead in river ilmenau (elbe river system)!
This Atlantic Salmon was washed up dead in the Ilmenau Channel (canalized lower part of the River Ilmenau) on 14th of August 2016.
Total length: 128 cm.
The exact weight couldn't be determined as the only scales available reached to maximum 13 kg, which wasn't enough.
From a certain body width on the fish had lost his scales completely (see photo), which might indicate that this fish had tried to pass the needle weirs in River Ilmenau.
From time to time some of the needles are pulled to control waterflow which enables strong fish to pass this point.
In River Ilmenau every year 5000 young salmon are being stocked. The fish on the photo didn`t have an adipose fin anymore. The only place in the Elbe river system where clipping of the adipose fin is used for marking is on River Stepenitz/Brandenburg. It is therefore very likely that this fish has reached the River Ilmenau as a strayer, but originates from stocking activities on the River Stepenitz.
It is very important for the Migratory Fishes Projects to give them notice if a salmon, sturgeon or sea trout is found dead or caught alive. In order to assign the fish properly it is important to take photos of details like adipose fin or ink markings or any other kind of marking or anomaly.
Every notice is important!
Shortly we will publish a seperate chapter on this subject here on this website.
