Setting the Stage for a Sustainable Pacific Salmon Fisheries Strategy
The following is the abstract from the Introductory Chapter of the book, Sustainable Fisheries Management: Pacific Salmon.
Abstract
Salmon and steelhead serve as a powerful symbol for the quality of life enjoyed in the Pacific Northwest, and generate a wide range of economic, social, and cultural benefits in the region. Commercial fisheries contribute significantly to local, provincial/state, and national economies, both directly through the sale of fish and indirectly through the services and manufacturing industries. Likewise, sport fisheries provide diverse economic benefits through the tourist, manufacturing, and services sectors. First Nations (Canada) and Tribal (U.S.) fisheries revitalize local economies, encourage social stabilization and renewal, and help maintain the rich cultural heritage that characterizes the Pacific Northwest. Considering the nature and extent of benefits which they bestow, the conservation of our shared salmon and steelhead resources deserve national and international priority.
Despite the vast quantities of time, money, and effort spent on fisheries management, there has been a widespread and marked decline in the size and number of salmonid populations in the Pacific Northwest over the last century (e.g., Walters and Cahoon 1985; Nehlsen et al. 1991). Numerous populations have been extirpated, and many of those remaining are at precariously low levels and trending downwards. While natural factors have undoubtedly played a role, the overriding causes of decline have been associated with human activities. The current status and trends of these populations reflect our inability to effectively manage the fishery resource and take the necessary steps to avert further declines in population abundance. The blame, as well as the responsibility for action, falls upon all of us; scientists, managers, resource users, and concerned citizens. Together, we must cooperate in the development and implementation of a comprehensive fisheries management strategy to ensure that west coast salmon populations are sustained and enhanced for future generations.
People throughout the Pacific Northwest are recognizing the need for such a strategy and many have agreed to work cooperatively on the development of a Sustainable Fisheries Strategy (SFS) for West Coast Salmon and Steelhead Populations. According to more than 500 participants who attended the Toward Sustainable Fisheries conference held in Victoria, British Columbia on April 26-30, 1996, sustainable fisheries can be defined as the conditions that support healthy, diverse, and productive ecosystems, viable aboriginal, sport, and commercial fisheries, and vital and stable communities throughout the historical range of anadromous Pacific salmonids. This book, Sustainable Fisheries Management: Pacific Salmon, represents an important step towards sustainable fisheries because it articulates our common vision for the future, identifies the factors that are currently impeding our ability to manage salmon and steelhead in a sustainable manner, and outlines some of the key strategies for overcoming these constraints and moving toward sustainable fisheries. This chapter is intended to provide a context for sustainable fisheries management by briefly describing the factors that influence fisheries sustainability, providing a framework for ecosystem-based fisheries management, and describing the overall strategy that is being used to support a transition towards sustainable fisheries management.
Please download this chapter for more information on the challenges that are facing Pacific salmon and the contents of the book, Sustainable Fisheries Management: Pacific Salmon.
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