Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) today released its annual review of the state of wild salmon fisheries. The analysis covers 82 principal Pacific salmon fisheries that target five species (pink, chum, sockeye, coho, and Chinook salmon) across the North Pacific and account for 95% of the global wild-capture commercial salmon harvest.
The fisheries are rated as either category A, B or C depending on the quality of the management and the status of the stock. An ‘A’ fishery is considered ‘very well managed’ while a ‘B’ category fishery is considered to be ‘reasonably well managed’. A category ‘C’ fishery is considered to be poorly managed and in need of significant improvements.The report concludes that:
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52% of the total volume of Pacific salmon comes from well or reasonably managed fisheries (Categories A and B). This includes 99% of coho, 87% of sockeye, 60% of pink, 48% of Chinook, and 23% of chum salmon global harvest.
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48% of the total volume of Pacific salmon comes from fisheries in need of significant improvements (Category C). 22% is accounted for by Russian fisheries with illegal fishing issues; 13% by Japanese chum fisheries with hatchery issues; and 10% by Prince William Sound, Alaska, fisheries with hatchery issues.
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74% of Alaskan, 95% of British Columbian, and 47% of Russian salmon harvest volumes come from well or reasonably managed fisheries.
- All of the Pacific Northwest US and Japanese fisheries included in this report need significant improvements.
- In 2013–2014, the salmon sector exhibited increased engagement in the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) program. Over half (50.3%) of global supply now comes from fisheries either certified by or under full assessment by MSC.
- Scoring of Category C fisheries indicated four priority areas where improvements are needed: (1) illegal fishing, (2) hatcheries, (3) harvest control practices for depleted stocks, and (4) offshore fisheries.
The report is available here and there is also a data annex. All fishery profiles can be found at www.fishsource.com