International Year of the Salmon (IYS)

Mark Saunders

IYS Coordinator

North Pacific Anadromous

Fish Commission

Vancouver, BC Canada

Salmon Ocean Ecology Meeting

March 22, 2017

Seattle, WA. USA

IYS Concept - “Salmon & People in a Changing World”

Salmon and people are in the midst of unprecedented social and

environmental change.

The enduring presence of salmon in our rivers, coastal waters and the high

seas will be the most obvious and compelling indicator of a healthy

relationship among people, salmon and the environment.

Sustaining salmon and people will require timely and quite likely near real-

time scientific advice that will inform nimble, adaptive resource management

systems that are integrated from watersheds to the high seas.

New technologies, knowledge, analytical methods, analyses, outreach/communication and management systems are needed for salmon and communities to be as resilient as possible.

The International Year of the Salmon is conceived as an intensive burst of internationally coordinated, interdisciplinary research and outreach focused on salmon, and their relation to people.

The International Year of the Salmon is actually a

seven year initiative with a focal year in 2019.

2017-18 Planning: Plan, Coordinate, enlist

partners and contributors

2018 Launch: Launch event/Symposium, outreach

2019 -21 Research: Field, laboratory and

analytical research, outreach

2022-23 Reporting: Reporting, publishing and

outreach

Timeline

IYS – How did we get here?

Scoping meetings were convened by the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission (NPAFC) in early 2015 and 2016 identified research themes, funders and governance.

NPAFC and the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization (NASCO) agreed to proposal NPAFC Document 1663.

The Planning Phase commenced with acceptance by both organizations in May/June 2016 with start-up resources from the NPAFC,NASCO, DFO and NOAA.

NPAFC and NASCO parties including Canada,

the United States of America, the Russian

Federation, Japan Korea, Denmark (in respect of

the Faroe Islands & Greenland), the European

Union, and Norway.

PICES, ICES, Pacific Salmon Commission

Universities– UBC, UVic, SFU

NGO’s – Pacific Salmon Foundation, Long Live

the Kings, Wild Salmon Center, Tula Foundation,

Atlantic Salmon Federation, Oceans Network

Canada, Genome BC

First Nations – First Nations Fisheries Council,

Columbia River inter-Tribal Fish Commission .

Participants to date …

IYS – How will it work?

Governance framework consists of an IYS Coordinating Committee with Pacific and Atlantic Steering Committees with the potential for Regional or local entities. A Symposium Steering Committee will plan a 2018 Symposium/Event.

The governance and planning model is distributed not hierarchical.

Planning, administering and funding activities facilitated by Steering Committees and/or region entities.

Funding sought through call to action for specific programs NOT up front.

A results-based planning framework is under development to guide planning of research and outreach at the Local, Regional, Basin and Hemispheric scales

Activities since June 2016

NPAFC and NASCO approved funding for logo, brand, website and funding strategy.

IYS Coordinating Committee convened and has been working on the following:

o Development of logo

o Drafting governance document

North Atlantic Steering Committee met in London England in November 2016

IYS – DFO 3-day workshop convened in January 2017 to establish a national network of salmon researchers with emphasis on IYS planning priorities.

North Pacific Steering Committee met in Vancouver, BC February 28/March 2017

Japan – planning Chum management symposium

Other?

A results-based Planning Framework

How will we plan and communicate what we will do collectively across and at regional, basin and hemispheric scales?

We propose using a two-level results-based planning framework

Ultimate Goal Process

Performance Accountability

Ultimate Goal Process

Performance Accountability

IYS Outcomes (1)

Status of

salmon

The present status of salmon and their

environments is understood.

Salmon in a

changing

salmosphere

The effects of natural environmental

variability and human factors affecting

salmon distribution and abundance are

understood and quantified.

New frontiers .New technologies and analytical methods

are applied to salmon research. Research

is carried out to fill knowledge gaps in

poorly studied regions of the

salmosphere.

IYS Outcomes (2)

Human

dimensions

Salmon dependent communities, indigenous

peoples, youth, harvesters, academics and

resource managers collaborate across the

salmosphere to develop decision making tools and

arrangements that support the resilience of people

and salmon.

Information

systems

Freely available information systems contain

historic and current data about salmon and their

environment

Salmon

outreach and

advocacy

People understand the value of healthy salmon

populations and engage to ensure salmon and their

varied habitats are conserved and restored against

the backdrop of increasing environmental change.

Development of Impact Measures Impact Measures are what we want to improve

for each of our IYS Outcomes through the

collective actions of the many organizations

involved with the IYS.

They provide the answer the question, “is

anyone or anything better off as a result of

the actions we take”

Impact measures will provide a compelling

rationale for funding the work and quantify our

performance.

Impact Measure Relevant IYS Outcomes

% of salmon populations whose status is reported using a consistent convention.

Status of salmon, human dimensions, salmon in a changing salmosphere, information systems

% of environmental and salmon data holdings available on an open, common platform.

Information systems, status of salmon, human dimensions, salmon outreach and communication

% of fisheries management plans informed by information on environmental variability.

Salmon in a changing salmosphere, status of salmon, human dimensions

IYS Opening Event Symposium/Congress

A high profile event to serve a launch point for the IYS that will:

Celebrate salmon and raise public and political awareness of the

challenges facing salmon throughout the ‘salmosphere’ (i.e. North

Pacific and North Atlantic and possibly Arctic Oceans and the Baltic

Sea)

Serve as a call to action and platform to raise funds for planned IYS

activities.

Convene scientists from across the hemisphere to report and

discuss the state of knowledge of salmon and look for innovative

solutions to pressing gaps.

Contribute to the development of improved collaboration among

organisations and researchers across disciplines in countries

throughout the ‘salmosphere’.

Planning the event

Date

Fall 2018

Candidate cities ….

London, England

Vancouver, Canada

Format

Symposium with opening and closing event

OR

Congress with

opening/closing event,

multiple symposia with concurrent sessions

Policy summits to engage four orders of government including First

Nations, business

Fora for youth and young scientists

Cultural events related to salmon – art, cuisine, dance

Completion of logo, brand and website

Planning 2018 IYS Launch

Event/Symposium

Detailed planning of Impact Measures and

related projects for IYS Outcomes including

funding strategies.

Next Steps

Mark Saunders – IYS Coordinator

North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission

Vancouver BC

msaunders@yearofthesalmon.org

Contact to get involved...