The aim of the thesis is to analyse the preconditions for increasedsalmon angling in the remaining wild salmon rivers in Upper Norrland in northernSweden, as well as to evaluate the present and possible future impacts on the localeconomy. It includes the identification of the internal and external conditions, in what ishere called the Salmon Utilisation Landscape, that influence the present use as well asfuture development of the Baltic salmon as a resource in angling. The empirical materialsderive from two mail surveys, 1) a survey of anglers in the River Byske and 2) a jointNordic survey on the economic value of recreational fishing.Interest in recreational fishing is widespread in Sweden. About 35 % of adultSwedes fish for recreation. Recreational fishery and angling can be seen as one expressionof the urbanised society's need for contact with nature and outdoor recreation. Salmonangling is one part of recreational fishery. Salmon are considered by many to be the 'biggame' of angling. Salmon anglers are often the most devoted kind of anglers, investingconsiderable resources into this leisure activity. The subgroup of Swedish salmon anglingspecialists is estimated at 10-30,000 persons. The wider category of Active River anglersconsists of approximately 170,000 persons.Salmon fishing in the River Byske has turned out to be representative of salmonangling in Upper Norrland, comparable with other high-class Scandinavian salmon rivers.The growing proportion of remote anglers in the 1990s indicates that the Byske hasbecome a rather specialised angling water. The groups of Fishing tourists and Home fishersmake up two distinctive categories. Fishing tourists fish more intensively, have higher dailyexpenditures and show higher consumer surplus. They fish the river almost entirely forsalmon in. On the other hand, Home fishers to a large extent claim the right to fish fordecent prices and without any particular restrictions. During the 1990s, the average annualincome to the local economy of Byske river valley derived from salmon angling fishingtourism was about 850,000 SEK.Many river habitats have been depleted during the 20th century and many salmonstocks were exterminated by severe degeneration factors linked to industrialisation. To thisis added the over-fishing on wild stocks of salmon and the mortality syndrome, M74. Theavailable estimates of the potential production of wild salmon smolt in Upper Norrlandaggregates close to 1.2 million. This can be converted to an angling activity of some250,000 fishing days.On the basis of the prevailing cost level, the potential angling activity in UpperNorrland would amount to a direct annual turnover of 75 million SEK, however theimpact caused by fishing tourism is likely to remain within the interval of 10 - 30 millionSEK. The Active River anglers' average willingness to pay for annual access to a salmon andsea trout scenario was 1,100 SEK per capita. There is a widespread attitude among manyanglers that fishing should be accessible for all and prices should be kept low. In theNordic context such opinions are especially evident among Swedish anglers in general, butless frequent among devoted salmon anglers. / digitalisering@umu

Wild salmon face an alarming decline in numbers around the globe due to various reasons from which a great part serves the decrease of water quality and habitat destruction. Keeping in mind the benefits associated with wild salmon new measures and forms of social involvement are urgent before it becomes impossible to safeguard the species of interest. Followed by the international recommendations this study supported the use of a bottom-up working approach taking into account public opinion. A socio-economic field study was conducted regarding the values associated with wild salmon followed by the examples of several case studies obtained in Europe and overseas. The study used a contingent valuation method in order to draw the attitudes and the willingness to pay for the re-introduction of wild salmon in the River Ogre, Latvia. The study included analyses of different opinions towards the values of wild salmon. Two distinct respondent groups i.e. anglers/fisherman and non-anglers/fisherman living within the municipality of Ogre, Latvia were included in the sample reaching a response rate of 56 per cent. The average estimate as a single payment in 2015 of the willingness to pay reached a value of around 27±9, 95%, CI EUR/household/this year excluding zero and protest bids where the value lowered to 12±4, 95% CI EUR/household/this year when zero bids were included. The Welch Two sample t-test indicated that respondents under certain social categories such as fishermen/angler, men, respondents with family members fishing/angling and environmentally aware respondents were willing to pay more. Besides providing estimates on the willingness to pay, the study revealed that also non-fishermen/anglers gave a high importance of the values associated with wild salmon. A great deal of respondents ranked the benefits driven by non-use and non-consumptive values of wild salmon as “important” or “very important”. The outcome of the study has provided one of the first insights of the importance of wild salmon held by Latvian citizens. It is up to the public and researchers to be heard by the decision makers.