Atlantic salmon from North America

ICES has evaluated the advice published in 2021 (see below) and ICES confirms that this advice conforms to our standards of best available science. ICES considers it suitable to inform management actions and it remains valid for the fishing seasons 2022 to 2024.

  

Summary of the advice for 2021 to 2024

ICES advises that, in line with the management objectives agreed by the North Atlantic Salmon Organization (NASCO) and consistent with the MSY approach, the catch of one-sea-winter (1SW) non-maturing salmon and two-sea-winter (2SW) salmon in mixed-stock fisheries in North America should be zero in the period 2021 to 2023. ICES advises that when the MSY approach is applied, fishing should only take place on salmon from rivers where stocks are at full reproductive capacity. Mixed-stock fisheries present particular threats and should be managed based on the individual status of all stocks exploited in the fishery.

In the absence of any fishing on 1SW non-maturing salmon and 2SW salmon in North America, there is a less than 75% probability in the period 2021 to 2023 that the numbers of 2SW salmon returning to the six regions of North America will be above the defined management objectives (conservation limits [CLs] for the four northern areas; rebuilding objectives for the two southern areas) simultaneously for the six regions.

The Framework of Indicators (FWI) was updated in support of the multiyear catch advice and the potential approval of multiyear regulatory measures. The FWI can be applied at the beginning of 2022, using the returns or return rate data for 2021 to evaluate the appropriateness of the advice for 2022, and again at the beginning of 2023, using the returns or return rate data for 2022 to evaluate the appropriateness of the advice for 2023.