Genetic Assessment of Salmon and Sea Trout Stocking in a Baltic Sea River

Microsatellite DNA variation were used to assess the outcome of stocking salmon and trout in River Saevara, N Sweden. No information on pre-stocking genetic composition of salmon and trout in R Saevara was available. In two year classes of salmon smolt microsatellite data indicated that post-stocking genetic composition differed markedly (Fst = 0.048) from the main donor strain, Byskeaelven salmon, and from other Gulf of Bothnia salmon stocks (Fst 0.047- 0.132). The STRUCTURE program failed to detect any sub structuring within Saevara salmon. It was concluded that only minor introgression estimated to a proportion of 0.11 (95% CI 0.07 - 0.16) has occurred in salmon. Sea migrating trout showed overall low differentiation among populations with maximum Fst of 0.03 making analysis more cumbersome than in salmon. Still, the Saevara trout deviated significantly from potential donor populations and structure software supported that majority of trout in Saevara formed a distinct genetic population. Admixture was more extensive in trout and estimated to 0.17 (95% CI 0.10 - 0.25).