ABSTRACT
Fishing pressure, human management, habitat destruction/degradation and climate change are the main factors affecting Atlantic salmon populations (Garcia de Leaniz et al. 1992; Mills et al. 2013), which have been declining during the last decades (Chaput 2012; Horreo et al. 2011a). In addition to the conservation interest of preserving this species, its economic and fi shing importance have led managers to employ diverse actions to increase or, at least, maintain salmon populations. These actions include habitat restoration, fi shing regulation and captive breeding, the latter being one of the most intensely employed. In fact, according to 78% of anglers surveyed (Juanes et al. 2011), captive breeding is identifi ed as the main solution for the Atlantic salmon conservation.
