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

NINA SPECIAL REPORT 34
Annex 1: Abstracts
Note:These abstracts are those submitted prior to <strong>the</strong>
symposium.
Keynote Presentations
Wild Atlantic salmon - so valuable, so
vulnerable
Pat O’Reilly
After briefly surveying <strong>the</strong> environmental, social and
economic benefits <strong>of</strong> healthy wild salmon stocks to
communities in countries bordering <strong>the</strong> North Atlantic, in
this keynote address <strong>the</strong> author also highlights <strong>the</strong> Atlantic
salmon’s iconic significance worldwide. There follows a
brief review <strong>of</strong> past and present pressures on salmon
stocks not only via direct exploitation but also via damage
to <strong>the</strong>ir environment and measures already taken or
underway to reduce impacts via <strong>the</strong> air, land and fresh
water. Finally, <strong>the</strong> presenter focuses on <strong>the</strong> marine
environment and proposes aspects which, with
international cooperation and partnership working, need
to be urgently addressed in order to forge a sustainable
future for <strong>the</strong> salmon farming industry and to conserve
for future generations healthy, abundant wild salmon
stocks.
A global review <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> salmon farming
industry and developments with regard to
sustainability
Helge Midttun
Farming <strong>of</strong> Atlantic salmon is a young industry. It started
in Norway in <strong>the</strong> 1960s and has since spread to various
corners <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> world. In 2004, production <strong>of</strong> Atlantic
salmon made up close to 80% <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> global production <strong>of</strong>
salmonids, which was around 1.5 million tonnes. The
largest salmon-producing countries today are Norway,
Chile, Scotland and Canada. In <strong>the</strong> Nor<strong>the</strong>rn hemisphere,
Norway is <strong>the</strong> biggest producer <strong>of</strong> Atlantic salmon, and
<strong>the</strong> salmon industry has become an important means <strong>of</strong>
income for many communities along <strong>the</strong> long coastline.
Norway has clean waters and environmental conditions
that are well suited for building a viable and sustainable
aquaculture industry. Like any o<strong>the</strong>r industrialised food
production system, salmon farming impacts <strong>the</strong>
environment, and <strong>the</strong> salmon producers must accept that
<strong>the</strong>y will be subject to rigorous evaluation <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>
environmental impact <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>ir activities. Fortunately,
through focus and dedication from all stakeholders in <strong>the</strong>
26
industry, and in close collaboration with <strong>the</strong> authorities,
many <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> environmental problems associated with <strong>the</strong>
salmon industry have been substantially reduced as <strong>the</strong>
industry has matured. Improvements have become
noticeable in areas such as fish health, feed resources
management, net pen technology, etc. Through continued
efforts on R&D and technology development <strong>the</strong> industry
is expected to advance even fur<strong>the</strong>r in <strong>the</strong> future. The
salmon industry has evolved rapidly, and in order to
continue to grow is dependent on a clean environment.
Going forward, maintaining high environmental standards
and securing a fully traceable and sustainable chain <strong>of</strong>
production will be a prerequisite for maintaining
consumer trust in salmon.
An overview <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> status and management
<strong>of</strong> wild Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.)
Walter W Crozier
Atlantic salmon occur naturally in over 2,000 rivers from
around latitude 43 o N to latitude 70 o N along <strong>the</strong> coasts
bordering <strong>the</strong> North Atlantic Ocean. Catch trends reflect
variously <strong>the</strong> evolution <strong>of</strong> fishery types, <strong>the</strong> abundance <strong>of</strong>
salmon and also <strong>the</strong> impact <strong>of</strong> management measures.
Since <strong>the</strong> adoption in 1983 <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Convention for <strong>the</strong>
Conservation <strong>of</strong> Salmon in <strong>the</strong> North Atlantic Ocean, <strong>the</strong>
distant-water fisheries at West Greenland and Faroes have
been regulated by <strong>the</strong> North Atlantic Salmon
Conservation Organization through internationally
negotiated quotas. In <strong>the</strong> 1980s, reducing stock
abundance began to seriously impact catches and, more
recently, catches have declined fur<strong>the</strong>r as a result <strong>of</strong>
management measures introduced to conserve stocks.
The latter have included various compensatory non-fishing
schemes in <strong>the</strong> distant-water fisheries, progressive
moratoria, buyouts and closures <strong>of</strong> commercial
homewater salmon fisheries in some countries, toge<strong>the</strong>r
with restrictions on rod fisheries in many rivers. Wild
salmon have increasingly come under a wide range <strong>of</strong>
pressures, including habitat loss and degradation, pollution,
predation, climate change effects and possible interactions
between wild and reared salmon and, as an overall result,
stock status has declined in many parts <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> natural
range. The most recent assessment by <strong>the</strong> International
Council for <strong>the</strong> Exploration <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong> Sea shows that <strong>the</strong>
North American and European stock complexes are
outside precautionary limits. Management advice has
evolved in response to <strong>the</strong> requirements <strong>of</strong> <strong>the</strong>
Precautionary Approach, with conservation limit reference
points having been defined and catch advice increasingly