Report of the 2005 ICES/NASCO Symposium on Interactions ...

NINA SPECIAL REPORT 34
international symposium in Bergen, Norway, during 18 - 21
October <strong>2005</strong>.
This publication forms <strong>the</strong> report <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Bergen
symposium. It is intended to serve as a record for <strong>ICES</strong>
and <strong>NASCO</strong> <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> symposium and <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Conveners’
conclusions, which have been based on all <strong>the</strong> information
presented. It also represents a report to <strong>the</strong> sponsoring
organizations and a record <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> state <strong>of</strong> international
knowledge <strong>of</strong> this subject in <strong>2005</strong>, <strong>the</strong> challenges that
remain in managing interactions between cultured and
wild salmon and possible solutions to <strong>the</strong>se challenges, and
it provides recommendations for future research
requirements. The intention is that this report will be
made widely available to those involved in <strong>the</strong> culture <strong>of</strong>
salmon, to managers <strong>of</strong> wild salmon stocks and to those
involved in research on interactions between wild and
cultured fish.
A second publication containing those scientific papers
accepted following peer review has been published as a
Special <strong>Symposium</strong> Volume <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>ICES</strong> Journal <strong>of</strong> Marine
Science that has been guest-edited by Dr Peter
Hutchinson (Hutchinson, 2006).
1.2 Objectives <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Symposium</strong>
The objectives <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> symposium were:
(i) to summarise available knowledge <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> interactions
between aquaculture and wild salmon stocks and
o<strong>the</strong>r diadromous fish species;
(ii) to identify gaps in current understanding <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se
interactions and to develop recommendations for
future research priorities;
(iii) to review progress in managing interactions, <strong>the</strong>
remaining challenges, and possible solutions; and
(iv) to make recommendations for additional measures
to ensure that aquaculture practices are sustainable
and consistent with <strong>the</strong> Precautionary Approach.
The aim <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> symposium was to build on <strong>the</strong> existing
collaboration between wild and farmed salmon interests
so as to identify <strong>the</strong> remaining challenges and possible
solutions in moving toward sustainable culture <strong>of</strong> Atlantic
salmon. As such, <strong>the</strong> focus was on practical approaches to
managing interactions between wild and cultured salmon.
1.3 Structure <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> <strong>Symposium</strong>
Ms Janne Sollie, Director General <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Directorate for
Nature Management in Norway, opened <strong>the</strong> symposium
which was structured into four plenary sessions and a
poster session. In total, 4 keynote papers, 35 invited and
contributed papers and 13 poster papers were presented.
The abstracts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>se papers are contained in Annex 1.
The first <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> plenary sessions was a keynote session
intended to set <strong>the</strong> scene with reviews <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> value <strong>of</strong>
wild Atlantic salmon, developments in <strong>the</strong> sustainability <strong>of</strong>
<strong>the</strong> salmon farming industry, <strong>the</strong> stock status and
management <strong>of</strong> wild Atlantic salmon, and <strong>the</strong> ecology <strong>of</strong>
cultured Atlantic salmon and <strong>the</strong>ir interactions with wild
fish. Following this keynote session <strong>the</strong>re were plenary
sessions focusing on genetic and ecological interactions
and <strong>the</strong>ir management, and on disease and parasite
interactions and <strong>the</strong>ir management. The final plenary
session was a syn<strong>the</strong>sis session intended to highlight <strong>the</strong>
remaining challenges and <strong>the</strong>ir possible solutions.
Following summaries <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> three plenary sessions (see
Annexes 2 - 4) and poster session (see Annex 5) by <strong>the</strong>
Co-Chairmen, six participants from different interests
were asked to give <strong>the</strong>ir perspectives on <strong>the</strong> information
presented during <strong>the</strong> symposium, i.e. <strong>the</strong>ir ‘take-home’
messages (see Annex 6). There were two representatives
<strong>of</strong> non-governmental organizations, two representatives <strong>of</strong>
<strong>the</strong> fish farming industry, and two representatives <strong>of</strong>
administrations involved in <strong>the</strong> management <strong>of</strong> salmon
farming or wild salmon. There was <strong>the</strong>n a general period
<strong>of</strong> discussion.
The symposium was closed by Mr Peter Gullestad,
Director <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Norwegian Directorate <strong>of</strong> Fisheries and a
Vice-President <strong>of</strong> <strong>ICES</strong>.
About 110 participants from 15 countries attended <strong>the</strong>
symposium, including delegates with experience <strong>of</strong>
research into, and management <strong>of</strong>, interactions between
cultured and wild salmon in <strong>the</strong> North Atlantic Ocean,
Baltic Sea and North Pacific Ocean. A list <strong>of</strong> participants
is given in Annex 7.
1.4 Acknowledgements
The Conveners express <strong>the</strong>ir sincere thanks to <strong>the</strong>
symposium Steering Group: Dr Malcolm Beveridge, Ms
Mary Colligan, Pr<strong>of</strong>essor Tom Cross, Mr Knut Hjelt, Dr
Peter Hutchinson, Mr Arni Isaksson, Mr Ge<strong>of</strong>f Perry, and
Mr Chris Poupard. We would also like to thank Dr Peter
Hutchinson for his assistance in preparing this report and
Ms Margaret Nicolson and Ms Bente Halsteinsen for
administrative support. The Conveners also thank <strong>the</strong>
participants who provided <strong>the</strong>ir take-home messages
during <strong>the</strong> final session: Ms Ka<strong>the</strong>rine Bostick, Ms Fiona
Cameron, Mr Knut Hjelt, Dr Jens Christian Holm, Mr James
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