ICES Advice 2007, Book 10 - North Atlantic Salmon Stocks

Executive Summary 1

1 Introduction 1

1.1 Main Tasks 1

1.2 Management framework for salmon in the North Atlantic 2

1.3 Management objectives 3

1.4 Reference points and application of precaution 3

2 ATLANTIC SALMON IN THE NORTH ATLANTIC AREA 5

2.1 Catches of North Atlantic Salmon 5

2.1.1 Nominal catches of salmon 5

2.1.2 Catch and release 5

2.1.3 Unreported catches 5

2.2 Farming and Sea Ranching of Atlantic Salmon 6

2.3 NASCO has asked ICES to report on significant new or emerging threats to, or opportunities for, salmon conservation and management 6

2.3.1 Recovery potential of Bay of Fundy and Southern Upland salmon populations 6

2.3.2 Timing and nature of density dependence in Atlantic Province salmon populations 7

2.3.3 Monitoring interactions between aquaculture and wild fisheries in Norway 7

2.3.4 Cessation of mixed stock fisheries in Irish coastal waters from 2007 8

2.3.5 Development of predictive models for returning salmon in Norway 8

2.3.6 Human activities impacting on aquatic diversity 8

2.3.7 Autumn downstream migration of juvenile Atlantic salmon in the UK – possible implications for the assessment and management of stocks 9

2.4 NASCO has asked ICES to provide a framework of indicators which would be used to identify any significant change in the previously provided multi-annual management advice for each Commission area 9

2.4.1 Study Group on Establishing a Framework of Indicators of Salmon Stock Abundance 9

2.4.2 Update of the Framework of Indicators for the 2007–2009 multi-year catch advice at West Greenland 9

2.4.3 Application of the framework indicator spreadsheet for signalling whether a significant change in management advice may occur for the fisheries in 2008 and 2009 10

2.5 NASCO has asked ICES to examine associations between changes in biological characteristics of all life-stages of Atlantic salmon and variations in marine survival 11

2.5.1 Small grilse size and growth during the first summer at sea in Scottish and Norwegian salmon populations 11

2.6 Tracking and tagging studies 12

2.6.1 Acoustic tracking of migrating Atlantic salmon kelts from the LaHave River, Nova Scotia, Canada 12

2.6.2 Monitoring smolt migration in the River Rhine, Germany 12

2.6.3 Data storage tags and tagging studies in Iceland 12

2.6.4 Compilation of tag releases and fin clip data by ICES member countries in 2006 13

2.6.5 Summary of the Workshop on the Development and Use of Historical Salmon Tagging Information from Oceanic Areas (WKDUHSTI) 13

3 NORTH-EAST ATLANTIC COMMISSION 28

3.1 Status of stocks/exploitation 28

3.2 Management objectives 29

3.3 Reference points 29

3.3.1 National conservation limits 29

3.3.2 Progress with setting river-specific conservation limits 29

3.4 Management advice 29

3.5 Relevant factors to be considered in management 30

3.6 Pre-Fishery Abundance for 2006–2010 30

3.7 Comparison with previous assessment 31

3.7.1 PFA forecast model 31

3.7.2 National PFA model and national conservation limit model 31

3.8 NASCO has requested ICES to describe the key events of the 2006 fisheries and the status of the stocks 31

3.8.1 Fishing at Faroes in 2005/2006 31

3.8.2 Significant events in NEAC homewater fisheries in 2006 31

3.8.3 Gear and effort 31

3.8.4 Catches 31

3.8.5 Catch per unit effort (cpue) 32

3.8.6 Age composition of catches 32

3.8.7 Farmed and ranched salmon in catches 32

3.8.8 National origin of catches 32

3.8.9 Trends in the PFA for NEAC stocks 32

3.8.10 Survival Indices for NEAC stocks 33

3.9 NASCO has requested ICES to provide any new information on the extent to which the objectives of any significant management measures introduced in recent years have been achieved. 33

3.10 NASCO has requested ICES to provide estimates of bycatch and non-catch fishing mortality of salmon in pelagic fisheries with an assessment of impacts on returns to homewaters 34

3.10.1 SGBYSAL 34

3.10.2 Bycatch of salmon in non-targeted catches in 2006 34

4 North American Commission 43

4.1 Status of stocks/exploitation 43

4.2 Management objectives 43

4.3 Reference points 43

4.4 Management advice 43

4.5 Relevant factors to be considered in management 43

4.6 Updated forecast of 2SW maturing fish for 2007 43

4.6.1 Catch options for 2007 fisheries on 2SW maturing salmon 43

4.7 Pre-fishery abundance of 2SW salmon for 2007-2009 44

4.7.1 Catch options for 2008–2010 fisheries on 2SW maturing salmon 44

4.8 Comparison with previous assessment and advice 44

4.9 NASCO has requested ICES to describe the key events of the 2006 fisheries and the status of the stocks 44

4.9.1 Fisheries in 2006 44

4.9.2 Status of stocks 45

4.10 NASCO has requested ICES to evaluate the extent to which the objectives of any significant management measures introduced in recent years have been achieved 45

4.11 NASCO has asked ICES to provide a comprehensive description of coastal fisheries including timing and location of harvest, biological characteristics (size, age, origin) of the catch, and potential impacts on non-local salmon stocks 46

5 Atlantic salmon in the West Greenland Commission 54

5.1 Status of stocks/exploitation 54

5.2 Management objectives 54

5.3 Reference points 54

5.4 Management advice 55

5.5 Relevant factors to be considered in management 55

5.6 Pre-fishery abundance forecasts 2007, 2008, and 2009 55

5.6.1 North American stock complex 55

5.6.2 Southern European MSW stock complex 55

5.7 Comparison with previous assessment and advice 55

5.8 NASCO has requested ICES to describe the events of the 2006 fishery and status of the stocks 56

5.8.1 Catch and effort in 2006 56

5.8.2 Biological characteristics of the catches. 56

5.9 NASCO has requested ICES to provide a detailed explanation and critical examination of any changes to the models used to provide catch options 57

5.9.1 Run-reconstruction models 57

5.9.2 Forecast models for pre-fishery abundance of 2SW salmon 57

5.9.3 Development and risk assessment of catch options 57

5.10 NASCO has requested ICES to provide any new information on the extent to which the objectives of any significant management measures introduced in recent years have been achieved. 57

6 NASCO has requested ICES to identify relevant data deficiencies, monitoring needs, and research requirements, taking into account NASCO's international Atlantic salmon research board's inventory of ongoing research relating to salmon mortality in the sea 65

6.1 Data deficiencies and research needs 65