SSI Habitat ConservationSakhalin Salmon Initiative

A network of priority basins will be established on Sakhalin, allowing for effective habitat conservation, thereby ensuring the long-term survival of salmon on Sakhalin. A preliminary list of priority basins was generated collaboratively by local scientists in 2007; first and foremost among the basins prioritized for conservation were the adjacent Langry and Bolshaya river basins in Northwest Sakhalin (see map). The pristine, 800,000 acre region is the only known region of Siberian and Sakhalin taimen co-habitation, and is home to endemic, unique populations of char and grayling.

In 2007, the SSI Center and its partners at local science institutes began compiling existing data about the Langry-Bolshaya’s fish, flora, fauna and physical environment, beginning the effort to create a new protected area in the region. Meanwhile, the Wild Salmon Center and SSI Center began collaborating with the Nature Conservancy to apply Conservation Action Planning (CAP) methodology to the Langry-Bolshaya project. CAP is an integrated process for planning, implementing, and measuring conservation success in conservation projects. Three local participants in the Langry-Bolshaya effort traveled to Elizovo, Kamchatka, in September, 2007, to participate in a week-long, CAP-focused seminar. In 2008, a draft conservation plan will be prepared for the Langry-Bolshaya region with the participation of local residents and scientists.