On 21 January 2026, Sweden’s national parliament (Riksdag) hosted a high-level seminar dedicated to one of the most pressing challenges for aquatic ecosystems: restoring fish migration at hydroelectric power plants. The event, entitled “Släpp fram fisken” (“Release the Fish”), was co-organised by the Swedish Social Democratic Party and the Moderate Party, together with EAA member Sportfiskarna.
Release the fish! Important message delivered to national policymakers by Sportfiskarna
The seminar brought together nearly 70 participants, including Members of Parliament, policymakers, hydropower representatives, experts and civil society organisations. The strong cross-party engagement underlined the growing political recognition that restoring river connectivity is central to achieving both biodiversity objectives and long-term water resilience.
Within the Swedish national plan to provide hydropower with modern environmental conditions (NAP), several court cases are currently underway, including in Testeboån and Ljungan. Swedish anglers are noticing a clearly increased political interest in functioning fishways, where both parties and individual parliamentarians are acting to bring salmon, eel, trout and other fish into Swedish rivers and waterways affected by hydroelectric power.
Interest in functioning fishways is growing. Nearly 70 members of parliament and industry representatives participated. / Photo: Bengt Olsson
Hydropower and fish migration: a structural challenge
Sweden’s rivers are heavily impacted by hydropower installations, which have fragmented aquatic habitats and disrupted natural fish migration routes for decades. During the seminar, it was highlighted that less than 5% of Swedish hydropower plants currently have functional fish passages.
This lack of connectivity continues to affect iconic migratory species such as salmon and trout, as well as other freshwater fish populations that depend on access to spawning and nursery habitats upstream.
Speakers, including fish biologist Ingemar Näslund, who presented his national report, emphasised that restoring fish migration does not necessarily come at the expense of renewable energy production. On the contrary, electricity production from hydropower can increase, even if fishways are built and other environmental adaptations are implemented. This is through generally increased flows, efficiency improvements and flow optimizations.
Fish biologist Ingemar Näslund presented the “horror report” which shows that the number of fishways at hydroelectric power plants is vanishingly small: fewer than 5% of power plants currently have functioning fishways. / Photo: Bengt Olsson
A cross-party platform for action
The parliamentary setting of the seminar provided an important political signal. By bringing together stakeholders from across the political spectrum, the discussion moved beyond sectoral interests and focused on practical pathways forward.
In this context, fisheries biologist Jakob Bergengren from the power company Tekniska Verken presented a good example of how fishways can be recreated without affecting electricity production. At the outlet of Lake Sommens at Laxberg, trout can now pass the regulating dam for the first time in 100 years. This is thanks to a so-called inlet that enables passage for all fish species.
About Sportfiskarna
Sportfiskarna is Sweden’s national organisation representing recreational anglers.
Founded in 1919, the association has over a century of experience in advocating for clean waters, thriving fish stocks and the sustainable development of angling as an important leisure activity.
Recreational fishing is today one of Sweden’s most important leisure activities, with an estimated 1.2 million practitioners who spend several billion SEK each year on their fishing, and in 2023 the sum amounted to SEK 11.2 billion. Sportfiskarna’s membership includes around 75.000 anglers and 460 associations.
