Programs
State of the Salmon Conference Reaches Out to Six NationsNews & Program Updates
Vancouver, B.C., Feb 2-5, 2009 Scientists and policy makers from across the Pacific Rim gathered for four days of scientific exchange and news about wild salmon at the State of the Salmon Conference in Vancouver, British Columbia. Conference participants heard from colleagues and leaders on the latest challenges and opportunities for wild salmon conservation across six nations bordering the North Pacific.
David Suzuki gives keynote address.
David Suzuki of the David Suzuki Foundation gave the initial keynote address emphasizing the need to account for climate change, better understand our impacts on the environment, and manage our activities to reduce the harm we are doing to the planet.
"We need to manage ourselves, not the salmon," said Suzuki. "A system perspective is needed that centers on ecosystems and salmon rather than on politics and economics."
Wild Salmon Conservation Goals and Principles
A highlight of the conference was the presentation of Wild Salmon Conservation Goals and Principles to guide wild salmon conservation across the Pacific Rim. Jack Williams with Trout Unlimited presented the principles to the international audience, and numerous speakers discussed how they are applying conservation principles on the ground in Japan, Russia, Alaska, British Columbia and the Pacific Northwest.
The conservation goals presented were as follows:
- Goal One: Manage wild salmon populations for abundance, diversity, and the maintenance of ecosystem health.
- Goal Two: Protect and restore enough habitat to maintain healthy wild salmon stocks and ecosystem processes.
- Goal Three: Build institutions, markets, and human communities that support wild salmon and their ecosystems over time.
State of the Salmon Director Rich Lincoln addresses conference participants.
An International Salmon Stronghold Network
The conference brought the future into focus on its final day with the presentation of a conservation vision for wild salmon. U.S. Forest Service Pacific Northwest Research Station Scientist (and visiting Wild Salmon Center Scientist) Gordon Reeves presented the process for identifying an international salmon stronghold network for the entire range of wild Pacific salmon.
The stronghold network strategy emphasizes the conservation of the healthiest salmon ecosystems or "salmon strongholds" across the North Pacific as an important complement to other essential, ongoing conservation efforts.
While a final network of salmon strongholds has not been officially established, Reeves presented the research and assessment process for finalizing and establishing such a network.
As an example, Reeves showed how a network could be established that would protect the abundance and diversity of certain wild salmon populations across the Pacific Rim. The process for identifying salmon strongholds on a global scale was accomplished using species diversity and abundance data. River systems in each ecoregion were evaluated and ranked, with those supporting the greatest abundance and diversity receiving the highest rankings.
A global map portraying the rankings showed a network of river systems across the Pacific Rim with a color grade indicated the ranking of each river system.
Reeves emphasized that this was an example to show how the ranking system would lead to the identification of a network of river systems to for wild salmon conservation.
The conference attendees were then challenged to engage in an international process that would:
- Establish the conservation goals and objectives of an international salmon stronghold network,
- Create scientific criteria to identify the actual network of salmon rivers that would meet those conservation goals and objectives, and
- Establish the international salmon stronghold network with a plan to conserve those salmon rivers into the future.
Hope for the Future
Conference attendees left with hope and enthusiasm that such a global network of salmon strongholds could indeed be established. Wild Salmon Center President Guido Rahr pledged that the Center would lead an international group of scientists and fish managers to accomplish the next steps toward identifying and creating such a network.
"The goal of establishing an international network of wild salmon strongholds is within our reach," said Rahr. "As we adjourn this conference, we must resolve to move forward together to make this goal a reality."