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

NINA SPECIAL REPORT 34
2. Overview <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Meeting
2.1 Session1: Opening Addresses and Keynote
Presentations
The symposium was opened by Janne Sollie, <strong>the</strong> Director
General <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Directorate for Nature Management, who
noted that while <strong>the</strong> topics on <strong>the</strong> symposium
programme were similar to those at <strong>the</strong> Loen and Bath
meetings in 1990 and 1997, respectively, <strong>the</strong> situation had
changed because <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> significant growth <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> salmon
farming industry since 1990 and <strong>the</strong> continuing decline in
wild stocks. She noted that it is now recognised that
salmon farming can pose serious threats to <strong>the</strong> wild stocks
and that while progress has been made in managing
impacts and in improving cooperation among <strong>the</strong> salmon
farming industry, <strong>the</strong> authorities and various stakeholders,
additional measures are required in order to move
towards sustainable culture <strong>of</strong> Atlantic salmon. To highlight
this she referred to two events in Norway in <strong>2005</strong> that
had resulted in 600,000 farmed salmon escaping to <strong>the</strong>
wild.
<strong>ICES</strong> and <strong>NASCO</strong> representatives <strong>the</strong>n highlighted <strong>the</strong>
importance <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> topic <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> symposium to <strong>the</strong>ir
organizations, challenging <strong>the</strong> participants to urgently find
solutions to <strong>the</strong> real problems that remain in managing
interactions between cultured and wild salmon.
The first keynote presentation by Pat O’Reilly highlighted
<strong>the</strong> social and economic values <strong>of</strong> wild Atlantic salmon. In
addition to <strong>the</strong> very significant values associated with <strong>the</strong>
fisheries and eco-tourism, <strong>the</strong> symposium was reminded
that <strong>the</strong> Atlantic salmon has a high pr<strong>of</strong>ile and <strong>the</strong> general
public care about conserving <strong>the</strong> resource even if <strong>the</strong>y do
not use it. He noted that <strong>the</strong>re are many pressures on
<strong>the</strong> wild salmon stocks, which are extremely vulnerable
given <strong>the</strong>ir present status, and that while <strong>the</strong>re has been
progress in minimising impacts <strong>of</strong> salmon farming,
containment is not adequate given <strong>the</strong> growth in
production. He indicated that <strong>the</strong> continuing escape <strong>of</strong>
farmed salmon to <strong>the</strong> wild poses risks <strong>of</strong> genetic damage
to <strong>the</strong> wild stocks, which would not be in <strong>the</strong> salmon
farming industry’s long-term interests because <strong>the</strong> diversity
present in <strong>the</strong> wild stocks is <strong>the</strong> industry’s seed corn. He
believed that if <strong>the</strong> industry is perceived to be damaging
<strong>the</strong> wild salmon stocks, consumers may reject its products.
The second keynote presentation by Helge Midttun
focused on <strong>the</strong> development <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> salmon farming
industry since <strong>the</strong> 1960s and its importance to coastal
communities around <strong>the</strong> North Atlantic and elsewhere.
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Worldwide production <strong>of</strong> farmed salmon has trebled in
<strong>the</strong> last ten years but he stressed that <strong>the</strong> continued
success <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> industry will require that it is conducted in
harmony with <strong>the</strong> environment and that where conflicts
arise, <strong>the</strong>se are resolved through cooperation and
planning. He indicated that while <strong>the</strong> industry had
addressed environmental concerns with regard to effluents
<strong>of</strong> nutrients and organic matter, and antibiotic usage had
been dramatically reduced, <strong>the</strong> level <strong>of</strong> escapes remains
too high relative to <strong>the</strong> abundance <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> wild stocks,
although around 98% <strong>of</strong> all farmed salmon are successfully
contained. He concluded that for <strong>the</strong> salmon farming
industry to continue its growth, <strong>the</strong> product must be
perceived to be safe and healthy, <strong>the</strong> industry must not be
associated with damage to <strong>the</strong> natural environment, and
<strong>the</strong> industry should be seen to be open and transparent
and willing to focus on animal welfare and environmentally
sustainable practices.
In <strong>the</strong> third keynote presentation Walter Crozier reviewed
<strong>the</strong> status and management <strong>of</strong> wild salmon stocks. All
four European stock complexes were considered by <strong>ICES</strong>
to be outside precautionary limits in 2004 and in North
America 31% <strong>of</strong> monitored rivers achieved less than 50%
<strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir conservation limits. Some stocks are critically
endangered and <strong>the</strong> projections for stock rebuilding for
low productivity stocks are very long-term. He referred
to <strong>the</strong> wide range <strong>of</strong> pressures on wild salmon stocks,
including habitat loss and degradation, pollution, predation,
climate change effects, and interactions with cultured
salmon. Progress is being made in reducing exploitation
and in addressing o<strong>the</strong>r factors, but <strong>the</strong> clear message was
that given <strong>the</strong> status <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> wild stocks, it is essential that
human activities do not exacerbate <strong>the</strong> situation.
The fourth and final keynote presentation by Bror Jonsson
provided a comprehensive review <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> literature
concerning <strong>the</strong> ecology <strong>of</strong> cultured Atlantic salmon in
nature and <strong>the</strong>ir interactions with wild salmon. He
concluded that cultured salmon compete for food, space
and breeding partners with wild salmon in nature and that
<strong>the</strong>ir performance and reproductive success in nature are
variable but can be much poorer than those <strong>of</strong> wild fish <strong>of</strong>
similar size. The reduced fitness is <strong>the</strong> result <strong>of</strong>
morphological, physiological, ecological and behavioural
changes that occur in hatcheries. The success <strong>of</strong> cultured
fish increases with <strong>the</strong> amount <strong>of</strong> time <strong>the</strong>y have spent in
nature. Cultured fish may, through density-dependent
mechanisms, displace wild fish, increase <strong>the</strong>ir mortality and
reduce <strong>the</strong>ir growth rates, with effects on associated lifehistory
traits, biomass and production. He highlighted <strong>the</strong>