The Use Of Stock Rebuilding Programmes In Theprecautionary Management Of Salmon Stocks

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The last two to three decades have seen serious declines in Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) stocks throughout their range. In response, the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization (NASCO) and its Parties have agreed to apply a Precautionary Approach to the conservation, management and exploitation of salmon. They have also proposed that Stock Rebuilding Programmes (SRPs) should be developed for all river stocks that are below their conservation limits. NASCO has therefore developed guidance on the process for establishing an SRP for a salmon stock and what such a plan might contain. The nature and extent of the programme will depend upon the status of the stock and the pressures that it is facing. While the short-term response to a stock failing to exceed its conservation limit may be to reduce or eliminate exploitation, salmon stocks frequently face a range of other pressures in both the freshwater and marine environments. SRPs will therefore be expected to include an array of measures to both evaluate and address the causes of the stock decline. In some situations, there may be a need for comprehensive programmes of research and management, which may be undertaken by, or have social and economic impacts upon, a number of user groups. While progress is being made with the development and implementation of such plans, there remains a need to ensure that a more holistic approach is taken to planning and implementing action which might be more consistent with current moves towards an Ecosystem Approach to Fisheries Management.