Conservation for resilience: global and local perspectives with salmon

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Sabrina Dorsey
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1 Conservation for resilience: global and local perspectives with salmon Malin Pinsky, Stanford University * Alexey Fedosenko, Sakhalin Salmon Initiative Center * Dane Springmeyer, Riverchange Geospatial Matthew Goslin, Ecotrust Xan Augerot, Pangea Environmental * presenting

2 Challenges of river conservation in a global world Future highly uncertain: timing, quantity, quality, temperature, humans High value rivers span multiple nations Few global data on freshwater ecosystems How do we plan for resilience in a changing world?

3 Pacific salmon (Oncorhynchus spp.): global and local perspectives This Talk: 278 populations extinct globally Multi-national conservation planning (North Pacific) On-the-ground conservation (Russia)

4 Conservation planning for salmon resilience Identify healthiest populations for proactive intervention Insurance against uncertainty Freshwater habitat focus Goal: a distributed network of resilient salmon rivers to anchor the genus' survival into the next century

5 Choosing resilient populations Six species: Abundance Catch + Escapement Run-timing Richness Conservation Value 1046 basins evaluated

6 Filled data gaps with linear models Explanatory variables: Species r 2 p Occupied streamlength Elevation Relief Distance from coast Area Lake area Chinook 0.81 < Chum 0.92 < Coho 0.83 < Pink 0.85 < Sockeye 0.84 < Steelhead 0.78 <0.0001

7 Ensured scales of data were comparable 10,000 sockeye? Allocated total to individual basins in proportion to the abundance predicted by linear models

8 Chum abundance

9 High Conservation Value rivers 1% are contained within national Protected Areas

10 Use of High Conservation Value rivers in planning High Conservation Value rivers Conservation Priorities Feasibility Politics Leverage Economics Threats

11 Conservation Action Planning: The Langry and Bolshaya Basins, Sakhalin, Russia Presentation for the RiverSymposium September 2, 2008

12 Critical threat to the region s salmonids: poaching Poacher s camp on Langry River. Expensive pink and chum caviar = poachers target. Other salmonid species die in poachers nets as well. The Wild Salmon Center, March,

Strategy to combat poaching: establishment of antipoaching patrol The patrol will operate through an agreement with the Okha region mayor The strategy will be piloted in August-September, 2008, on

13 Strategy to combat poaching: establishment of antipoaching patrol The patrol will operate through an agreement with the Okha region mayor The strategy will be piloted in August-September, 2008, on the Langry river, during summer chum and pink salmon runs The patrol will include members of the local police, the local brigade of the Kazakh armed forces, and a private security agency Boat and driving patrols will be conducted The Wild Salmon Center, March,

14 Other threats to the Langry-Bolshaya Region and its salmonids. Water quality - phenols: The Langry river mouth is located not far from the Amur river mouth on the mainland, where a recent major phenol spill in China took place. Water quality - oil spills: Rosneft oil pipeline built in 1947 crosses the Langry river in the middle basin and several tributaries of the Bolshaya basin. A spill in 1995 sent oil into the Bolshaya basin. Excessive commercial fishing: Commercial fishing operations north of the Langry river may be catching more fish than the quotas allow and illegally selling the extra fish. Commercial fishing net in the Amur strait near the Langry river. The Wild Salmon Center, March,

15 Monitoring: Assessment of current condition and success of conservation strategies Seven-person team floated on rafts from middle basin to mouth of Langry and Bolshaya basins. The Wild Salmon Center, March,

16 Monitoring: June 15 July 5 expedition Confirmed high species diversity of salmonids. The Wild Salmon Center, March,

17 Langry-Bolshaya Conservation Plan: Next steps Conduct two additional expeditions: The expeditions will focus upon finding Sakhalin taimen in the Langry river, where their last reported occurrence (4 years ago) is more recent. (August-September, October) Complete draft of conservation plan: Refine conservation plan on the basis of new data generated by the research expeditions. Develop strategies for other threats and refine anti-poaching strategy based upon results of summer pilot enforcement project. Develop a long-term monitoring strategy to assess condtion over time and assess conservation strategy success. (October, 2008) Conduct public hearings: Gather local stakeholders in the Okha region to discuss the conservation plan and community involvement in its implementation (for example, sport fishermen involvement in gathering of fish clips). (November, 2008) Create protected area: Use new and existing data to gain protected area status for the Langry and Bolshaya basins (2009). The Wild Salmon Center, March,

Student, Stanford University Alexey Fedosenko

Center Hopkins Marine Station Sakhalin Salmon

Kommunistichesky Prospect, Office 304 120

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia 693000 Pacific

18 Thank you for your attention! Contact Information: Malin Pinsky Ph.D. Student, Stanford University Alexey Fedosenko Jurisconsult, Sakhalin Salmon Initiative Center Hopkins Marine Station Sakhalin Salmon Initiative Center Stanford University 49 Kommunistichesky Prospect, Office Oceanvew Blvd. Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, Russia Pacific Grove, Ca Telephone/Fax: +7 (4242) Website:

19 The End

20 Data available for individual basins

21 Data available for basin clusters

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