Salmon Summit

Photographs courtesy of Francis Giraudon for the La Rochelle Office of Tourism. NASCO and ICES announce a major international symposium, 'Salmon at Sea: Scientific Advances and their Implications for Management', to be held at L'Aquarium, La Rochelle, France, during 11-13 October 2011. Read more... Background Over the last thirty years there has been a major decline in marine survival of Atlantic salmon. The total abundance of salmon in the North Atlantic prior to the commencement of fisheries is now about half the level in the mid-1970s. Despite major reductions in salmon fisheries, particularly those in the sea, abundance has not recovered. There is also concern about the marine survival of salmon in the Baltic and of some stocks in the North Pacific. Lack of understanding of the factors affecting survival of salmon at sea is an obstacle to rational management and our ability to conserve and rebuild stocks. NASCO's International Atlantic Salmon Research Board (IASRB) has since 2008 implemented a major programme of marine surveys in the North-East and Northwest Atlantic, together with enhanced sampling of the fishery at West Greenland under the SALSEA Programme and thier have been major research initiatives in the Pacific Ocean and in the Baltic Sea. While the focus of this NASCO/ICES symposium will be on new findings from research on Atlantic salmon in the North Atlantic, the Steering Committee also welcomes contributions based on recent research conducted in the North Pacific Ocean and in the Baltic Sea. Contributions based on the findings of studies on factors in fresh water that may influence mortality at sea would also be welcome. Objectives to review recent advances in our understanding of the migration, distribution and survival of salmon at sea and the factors influencing them; to consider the management implications of recent advances in understanding of the salmon’s marine life; to identify gaps in current understanding and future research priorities; to increase awareness of recent research efforts to improve understanding of salmon at sea and to encourage support for future research. Registration The registration fee is £300 (£350 after 28 February 2011). A reduced rate of £200 will be offered for students (limited number of places). The fee will cover, inter alia, attendance at the meeting itself, tea and coffee, conference dinner and a copy of the ICES Journal of Marine Science devoted to the symposium papers. It will also include a separate report on the management implications of the research presented at the symposium. Numbers will be limited to a maximum of 130 participants. Online registration will be available by October 2010 and if you would like to be notified of this and accommodation details please email hq@nasco.int. If you are involved in salmon research or management you will not want to miss this Salmon Summit. Spaces will be limited and we anticipate demand will be high.