Questions and answers about the closure of the Fisheries Research Station in Älvkarleby

Why is the Fisheries Research Station being closed?

The Fisheries Research Station in Älvkarleby is being closed due to the discontinuation of funding for its breeding and release operations. The rearing and stocking of salmon and sea trout have been the primary sources of funding for the station, and without them, SLU lacks the financial means to continue its operation.

SLU has conducted these activities in the Dalälven River on behalf of the Swedish Agency for Marine and Water Management (HaV), which financed the work through a fund that is now nearly depleted.

This fund (Lanfors-Untran Fund) was established as part of an agreement between the state and hydropower companies, requiring compensation releases of fish in the lower Dalälven region due to the impact of hydropower. The fund is managed by the Legal, Financial and Administrative Services Agency (Kammarkollegiet) and was allocated by HaV from 2011 to 2023. In March 2023, the County Administrative Board of Uppsala took over fund management, but the remaining resources are insufficient to sustain operations.

Since SLU’s commissioned activities require full cost coverage, SLU decided on May 4, 2023, to begin phasing out the station, with a planned closure in 2025 unless new funding was secured. As no new financial support has been obtained, the closure is proceeding as planned.

Has SLU attempted to find solutions to maintain operations?

Yes. Since 2023, SLU has actively engaged in discussions with relevant hydropower companies, authorities, municipalities, county administrative boards, and various research interests. However, no long-term solution has been found.

What activities are currently conducted at the facility?

The main activity at the facility is the breeding and rearing of salmon and sea trout for compensatory stocking in the Dalälven River. The station also hosts research facilities used by SLU and others, including a flow-through aquarium and an artificial stream. Additionally, training courses in fish tagging and electrofishing are conducted at the site.

What is the historical significance of the Fisheries Research Station for breeding and rearing?

The Fisheries Research Station in Älvkarleby was Sweden’s first facility for so-called compensatory fish farming. The first hatchery for fish larvae was established here as early as 1871. When the Älvkarleby Falls were developed for hydropower between 1911 and 1915, a new and larger facility was built.

Compensatory stocking involves breeding fish in hatcheries and releasing them into a watercourse to replace natural populations that have declined or disappeared due to human activities. In Älvkarleby, the hydropower plant prevents migratory fish such as salmon and sea trout from reaching their spawning grounds and reproducing naturally.

Every summer, adult salmon and sea trout migrating upstream have been caught at the so-called Central Fishery on Laxön in Älvkarleby to be used as broodstock. In late autumn, when the fish are ready to spawn, they are stripped of eggs and milt, which are then fertilized. After hatching in trays, the larvae are transferred to rearing tanks, where they grow. After one to two years, when they reach the smolt stage (the phase when they would naturally begin their migration to the sea), they are released into the river.

How will the release of salmon and sea trout in the Dalälven River be affected when SLU phases out its operations?

When SLU phases out its compensatory fish farming, the release of salmon and sea trout in the Dalälven River will be significantly reduced.

Since the 1990s, SLU’s Fisheries Research Station in Älvkarleby has bred 100% of the sea trout (approximately 55,000 fish per year) and about 30% of the salmon (around 60,000 fish per year) released into the Dalälven River.

The remaining salmon (about 130,000 fish per year) have been reared and released by Vattenfall and Fortum, but using fertilized eggs supplied by SLU’s hatchery. If the power companies do not take over this process, their compensatory stocking may also be affected by the station’s closure.

Hydropower companies are legally required to continue their compensatory releases of salmon and trout according to existing water rights rulings. If they fail to meet their obligations, the county administrative boards can demand corrective actions.

However, SLU’s releases are not covered by any water rights ruling but are based on an agreement between the state and the power companies. When SLU discontinues its operations, these releases will cease. As far as SLU is aware, no other organization plans to take over this part of the compensatory breeding or stocking. For sea trout, this could mean that, at best, fewer than half as many fish will be released after 2025—or, in the worst case, that no sea trout will be released at all.

What ecological consequences could result from the closure of station?

When SLU phases out its compensatory fish farming, significantly fewer salmon and sea trout will be released into the Dalälven River. Since the natural reproduction of these fish is severely limited due to hydropower dams, their populations risk a sharp decline within just a few years.

The salmon and sea trout in the Dalälven River are genetically adapted to the river and have a strong homing instinct, meaning they return to their birthplace to spawn. If fewer fish are released, fewer adults will return, which could lead to a gradual population decline. This is particularly concerning for sea trout, which already have a low number of breeding individuals.

In the long term, the goal is to restore free migration routes and enable natural reproduction. The review of environmental conditions for hydropower, known as the National Plan for Modern Environmental Conditions for Hydropower (NAP), will likely require power companies to implement such measures.

However, NAP has been repeatedly postponed by the government, with the review for the lower Dalälven now scheduled for summer 2026. The process will likely take a few years, and further time will be needed for any environmental measures to take effect. Creating functional fish passages and restoring spawning and nursery habitats is a lengthy process, and it will take even longer before fish populations recover. During this transition period, the lack of compensatory stocking could weaken the populations so much that recolonization fails, even if migration routes are eventually restored.

Salmon and sea trout are key species in the Dalälven River ecosystem. If their populations decline or disappear, it could disrupt the food web and lead to changes throughout the ecosystem, affecting other fish species, birds, and mammals.

What will happen to the affected staff?

The staff has been given notice, and their employment will end on November 19, 2025.

When will the station be closed?

The operations will be phased out gradually. All fish currently at the station are planned to be released by June 2025. In late summer, the final broodstock fishing will be conducted to provide eggs for the power companies. By November 15, 2025, SLU will have vacated the premises and closed the Fisheries Research Station.