Sakhalin Salmon Initiative
International Conference
Working Group Sessions
Working Group 1: Habitat and Biodiversity Conservation
Expert Panel
- Yuri Bersenev, World Wildlife Fund, Russia Far Eastern Branch (WWF RFE)
- Igor Bystrov, Center for Coastal Fisheries and Stock Assessment
- Paul Grigoriev, Econexus Inc.
- Dmitry Lisitsyn, Sakhalin Environment Watch
- Dmitry Petelin, Sakhalin Energy Investment Company Ltd. (SEIC)
- Vladimir Radchenko, Sakhalin Fisheries and Oceanography Research Institute (SakhNIRO)
- Pete Rand, Wild Salmon Center (WSC)
- Sergei Safronov, Sakhalin State University
- Valeriy Yefanov, Sakhalin State University
Main Discussion Questions
- What steps and resources are needed for prioritizing which basins will receive focal attention in the SSI?
- Which basins are key for salmon?
- Which basins are key for other flora and fauna?
- Which basins offer the best opportunity for ecosystem-focused strategies and maximum biodiversity conservation?
- What main activities are required to study and develop a conservation plan for Sakhalin taimen?
- What main activities are required to study and develop conservation plans for other noncommercial salmonids?
- Which protected area designations or special statuses are most appropriate for Natural Production Rivers? How can effective, sustainable management of these areas be achieved?
- How can the effectiveness of salmon conservation in protected areas be improved?
- What strategies can be employed to better understand the role of salmon in the ecosystem and existing threats to this role? What is a possible approach for responding to these threats?
Speakers (Name, Organization, Presentation Title)
- Yuri Bersenev, WWF RFE: Conservation of Natural Populations of the Far East Region: Problems, Legislation and Paths to Solutions
- Paula Burgess, WSC: The Oregon Plan for Salmon and Watersheds Saving Salmon at the Local Level
- Igor Bystrov, Center for Coastal Fisheries and Stock Assessment: Management of Natural Production Rivers
- Dmitry Lisitsyn, Sakhalin Environment Watch: Creation and Management of the Vostochniy Reserve and the Idea of Salmon Reserves
- Dmitry Petelin, SEIC: Salmonids and SEIC Biodiversity Action Plan
- Vladimir Radchenko, SakhNIRO: Role of Pacific Salmon in the Ecosystems of the Northern Pacific Ocean
- Pete Rand, WSC: Prioritizing investments in Pacific salmon conservation: watershed ranking based on landscape properties and salmon abundance, species and life history diversity
- Sergei Safronov, Sakhalin State University: Current Condition and Conservation of the Populations of Sakhalin Taimen Parahucho perryi in the Rivers of Sakhalin Island
Working Group 2: Sustainable Salmon Business
Expert Panel
- Alexei Bobrov, Sakhalin Regional Club of Fishermen and Hunters
- Shelley Clarke, Technical Advisory Board, Marine Stewardship Council
- Sergei Sinyakov, KamchatNIRO
- Petr Sharov, World Wildlife Fund, Russia Far Eastern Branch (WWF RFE)
- Vladimir Smirnov, Smirnokhovsk Region Association of Commercial Fisheries
Main Discussion Questions
- MSC eco-certification: What can certification offer Sakhalin's salmon industry? If it is determined that certification would be economically favorable to the industry, how can SSI facilitate the certification process?
- Other value-added approaches: How can SSI help to introduce and pilot other value-added approaches for Sakhalin's sustainable natural resources?
- Raising prices on salmon products: How can SSI serve as a catalyst, motivating Sakhalin's salmon processors to improve processing and therefore add value to the salmon resources? What needs to be done to change salmon processing procedures in order to get higher prices for Sakhalin salmon?
- "Catch and release" tourism: How can SSI most effectively demonstrate the potential benefits of a healthy sport fishery in Sakhalin (e.g. Alaska)? How can the principles of catch and release tourism be effectively "sold" to the Sakhalin public and eco-tourism promoted to an international public?
- Licensing of sport and amateur fishing: What new regulations need to be adopted to create a framework for the licensing of sport and amateur fishing which allows the Sakhalin public to profit from its salmon resources without stressing populations? How can fees from licensing be used to improve fisheries?
Speakers (Name, Organization, Presentation Title)
- Greg Block, Wild Salmon Center, presents material of Gunnar Knapp, University of Alaska: Opportunities for Wild Salmon on Sakhalin in Changing World Salmon Markets
- Alexei Bobrov, Sakhalin Regional Club of Fishermen and Hunters: Amateur Fishing on Sakhalin (Licensed Salmon Fishing)
- Alexander Dashevskiy, Sakhalin Outdoor Club: Development of Fishing Ecotourism on Sakhalin Island
- Petr Sharov, WWF RFE: The Marine Stewardship Council's Fisheries Ecolabeling Program
- Sergei Sinyakov, KamchatNIRO: Significance of the Salmon Fishery and Industrial Fishing in the Economy of Kamchatka and Other Regions of the Far East
Working Group 3: Education and Training
Expert Panel
- Oleg Bazaleev, Sakhalin Energy Investment Company (SEIC)
- Anatoly Kobelev, Aniva Region Association of Commercial Fisheries
- Dmitry Kolesnichenko, Department of Print, Television and Radio Broadcasting and Communications
- Sergei Makeev, Sakhalin Wild Nature Fund
- Sergei Pervukhin, Pilgrim Program
- Svetlana Rudenko, Sakhalin Oblast Department of Education
Main Discussion Questions
- How will the SSI Education and Training Center operate? Is a small grants program the most effective means of promoting island-wide education projects? If so, how should it be managed?
- What types of ecology and salmon-focused education programs work best at the different education levels? Can environmental curricula including salmon-focused components be implemented island-wide?
- What is the best way to provide continuing education to specialists in the fisheries industry and the general population? On which topics should the Education and Training Center focus its continuing education programs?
- How can the press and advertisement be used to raise awareness about salmon and conservation issues island-wide?
Speakers (Name, Organization, Presentation Title)
- Oleg Bazaleev, SEIC: Education component of the Sakhalin Salmon Initiative
- Anatoly Kobelev, Aniva Region Association of Commercial Fisheries: Role of Commercial Fisheries and Public Organizations in Salmon Management
- Dmitry Kolesnichenko, Department of Print, TV and Radio and Communications: The Current Condition of the Regional Media Market
- Sergei Makeev, Sakhalin Wild Nature Fund: The SSI Education and Training Center Programs
- Sergei Pervukhin, TKK Pilgrim: Management of Small Grants Programs
- Svetlana Rudenko, Sakhalin Oblast Department of Education: Continual Environmental Education Focused on Salmon Conservation
Working Group 4: Local Communities and Salmon Ecosystem
Expert Panel
- Amanda Bigelow, International Riverfoundation
- Paul Burns, USDA Forest Service
- Norm Cohen, Coastal Villages Fisheries Cooperative
- Ekaterina Koroleva, Sakhalin Oblast Duma
- Olney Patt Jr., Columbia River Inter-tribal Fish Commission
- Johnny Sundstrom, Siuslaw Institute
- Anatoly Vysotskiy, Russian Forest Service
Main Discussion Questions
- What are community development quotas? How are they used in Alaska and elsewhere? Could this system be applied on Sakhalin to create employment opportunities in rural areas?
- How can territories of traditional use be established to maximize indigenous economic and cultural benefits and promote traditional fishing culture?
- How can we use traditional knowledge to enable communities to monitor and sustainable use salmon resources?
- What are watershed councils? What role to they play in Oregon and other areas? Could watershed councils be effectively used on Sakhalin? How would an effective watershed council network be established on Sakhalin? How would the individual councils be structured and how would they work, both independently and as a group?
- What steps are needed to effectively coordinate and support numerous groups and organizations on Sakhalin interested in river restoration? What steps and resources are needed for prioritizing which basins will receive focal attention for restoration action?
- What kind of support should be provided by a regional training center? What are the best roles for foreign organizations and institutions in restoration efforts?
Speakers (Name, Organization, Presentation Title)
- Amanda Bigelow, International Riverfoundation: Local communities in action for healthy river catchments
- Paul Burns, USDA Forest Service: Community Based Restoration of Whole Watersheds on National Forest System Lands of the Pacific Northwest
- Norm Cohen, Coastal Villages Fisheries Cooperative: The CDQ Program – The Western Alaska Experience
- Sergei Kurmanguzhinov, Association of Minority Peoples of the North: Indigenous commercial fishing
- Alexei Limanzo, Board of Authorized Representatives of the Indigenous, Minority Peoples of Northern Sakhalin: Leasing of rivers to indigenous groups in northeastern Sakhalin
- Sergei Makeev, Sakhalin Wild Nature Fund and Anatoly Vysotskiy, Department of conservation and forest protection, Federal Forest Service, Sakhalin Oblast Branch: Sakhalin River Restoration Partnership
- Olney Patt Jr., Columbia River Inter-tribal Fish Commission: Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission
- Johnny Sundstrom, Siuslaw Institute: Watershed Councils, their Formation, Structure, and Functions
Working Group 5: Extractive Industry Best Practices
Expert Panel
- Satoshi Kameyama, National Institute for Environmental Studies
- Dmitry Lisitsyn, Sakhalin Environment Watch
- Vycheslav Melkii, Geology Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences
- Alexei Okhotnikov, SEIC
- Sergei Sinyakov, KamchatNIRO
Main Discussion Questions
- What steps need to be taken to ensure effective implementation of Environmental Impact Assessments for extractive industry projects?
- What comprehensive monitoring program for cumulative environmental effects of extractive industry work can be instituted? What are the key components of such a program? What is the role of the public in monitoring?
- How can the application of best practices in the construction of infrastructure be ensured?: Pipelines, River Crossings, River Access, Road Construction
- How can extractive industries best balance or counteract the effects they have on biodiversity and the environment?
- Mitigation efforts
- Prevention efforts
- How can extractive industries become proactive supporters of conservation and sustainable economic development?
- Sakhalin is endowed with great mineral wealth and yet the local economy is poor. How can extractive industries invest in long-term sustainable economic development in a fair, cost effective, results-oriented way?
Speakers (Name, Organization, Presentation Title)
- Satoshi Kameyama, National Institute for Environmental Studies: Estimation and spatio-temporal change of habitat potential for endangered freshwater fish in Japan.
- Dmitry Lisitsyn, Sakhalin Environment Watch: Community monitoring of the oil and gas projects
- Vycheslav Melkii, Geology Institute, Russian Academy of Sciences: The impact of natural resource extraction on ecosystems and problems with restoration of disturbed basins
- Alexei Okhotnikov, SEIC: Organization of Sakhalin Energy's Interaction with the public and stakeholders during implementation of "Sakhalin II"
Working Group 6: Fisheries Management, Hatcheries and Poaching Prevention
Expert Panel
- Shelley Clarke, TRAFFIC-East Asia
- Sergei Didenko, Fisheries Deparment, Sakhalin Oblast Administration
- Rob Walton, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, USA
- Valeriy Yefanov, Sakhalin State University
- Konstantin Zgurovsky, World Wildlife Fund, Russia Far Eastern Branch (WWF RFE)
Main Discussion Questions
- What are the challenges for effective salmon management on Sakhalin? What steps can be taken to help Sakhalin sustainably manage its salmon fishery?
- How will long-term leases of fishing plots and spawning rivers change the current situation? How can Sakhalin and the Initiative work with river proprietors to promote and support the ideal of river stewardship?
- What can be done within the bounds of the current Russian Federation legislation to effectively combat poaching? What new measures at the Oblast and federal levels are necessary?
- What is the role of the community in anti-poaching efforts? Can public monitoring be used to supplement government enforcement efforts?
- What role do hatcheries play in the Sakhalin economy? Are hatcheries used primarily for conservation or production?
- Has any analysis of the true benefits and expenses of hatcheries been conducted? If not, should this be done through the SSI?
- How can SSI promote conservation-friendly hatcheries and alternatives to hatcheries?
- Recommendations for the appropriate development of hatcheries.
- Sustainable development: How can sustainable, natural reproduction of wild salmon be encouraged amidst the great hatchery output of the island?
Speakers (Name, Organization, Presentation Title)
- Alexander Antonov, SakhNIRO and Ludmila Makeeva, Sakhrybvod Aniva Ichthyology Monitoring Station: Methods Employed on Sakhalin for Forecasting, Monitoring and Regulating the Salmon Industry
- Shelley Clarke, TRAFFIC-East Asia: Examining the extent of poaching through trade analysis: application to Russian salmon
- Sergei Didenko, Fisheries Department, Sakhalin Region Administration: Transfer of authority in fisheries management from Moscow to the regions of Russia
- Vladimir Smirnov, Smirnokhovsk Region Association of Commercial Fisheries: Projects of the Smirnokhovsk Region Association of Commercial Fisheries
- Rob Walton, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, USA: Pacific Salmon and Steelhead: Lessons from the Northwestern United States
- Valeriy Yefanov, Sakhalin State University: Problems and Basic Principles of the Approach to Economically Sensible Hatchery Reproduction of Pacific Salmon
- Konstantin Zgurovsky, WWF RFE: Kamchatka Salmon Conservation Project