Climate change adversely impacts populations of trout, salmon

Climate change is adversely affecting lives of trout and salmon, a new research claims.

Researchers from Cardiff University studied populations of young salmon and trout in the River Wye in Wales, traditionally one of UK's best angling rivers.

Professor Steve Ormerod and colleagues from the Cardiff School of Biosciences found salmon numbers fell by 50 percent and trout numbers by 67 percent between 1985 and 2004 - even though the river itself became cleaner.

The fish were hit hardest following hot, dry summers such as 1990, 2000, and 2003. The results suggest that warmer water and lower river levels combine to affect both species. As both trout and salmon favor cool water, they face potentially major problems if climate warming continues as expected in the next two to three decades.

Professor Ormerod said: "Huge efforts have been put into bringing salmon back into Europe's formerly polluted rivers such as the Taff, Thames, Clyde, Seine and Rhine, so these results are a major worry.

SOURCE: ANI, Yahoo India News.