The status of salmon stocks in the Baltic Sea varies. Many river stocks are under pressure, but in the Gulf of Bothnia and the Gulf of Finland, several populations are showing signs of recovery due to low fishing pressure and limited utilisation of catch quotas.
In fisheries using fyke nets, bycatch of vulnerable (ETP) species, such as sea lampreys, birds, seals and occasionally sturgeon, is limited. Discards are low to moderate and many released fish survive, although many salmon are also lost due to seal damage. The fishery has little impact on the ecosystem and causes no significant damage to the seabed. CO₂ emissions are low and lost fishing gear poses a high risk.
In the Gulf of Bothnia and the rest of the Baltic Sea, the fishery is largely managed based on scientific advice, but there is no joint management plan and compliance with the rules could be improved. In the Gulf of Finland, additional national measures are in place, but due to the lack of a full stock assessment, the effectiveness of management remains uncertain.