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North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization

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The North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization (NASCO) is a specialised regional fishery management organisation established under the Convention for the Conservation of Salmon in the North Atlantic Ocean from 1 October 1983.

The organization's mission is to contribute through consultation and cooperation to the conservation, restoration, enhancement and rational management of salmon stocks.

Its headquarters are in Edinburgh, United Kingdom.

It was established due to the failure of independent states to protect a global common such as the salmon population in this case. It was argued that international cooperation was necessary to prevent unsustainable over-fishing. The NASCO has established a handful of regulations and guidelines regarding the fishing of salmon, for example, countries are only able to fish within 12 nautical miles of their territory, prohibiting fishing in most of the North Atlantic.[1] Additionally, NASCO has recognized the increasing number of countries implementing catch-and-release practices and has brought light to the proper way to manage and catch-and-release scenario in order to reduce fishing mortality. NASO highlights the importance of keeping the fish in the water prior to release to avoid air exposure. There has been valuable evidence supporting increasing survival rates by following these guidelines.[2]

In 2020, the NASCO operates with a budget of 636 630 GBP, with a little over 583 000 GBP coming from the member states.[3]

Membership

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  current organization participants
  other convention signatories

Current participants (since 1984): Canada, Denmark (in respect of the Faroe Islands and Greenland), the European Union, Norway, Russian Federation, and the United States of America.

Former participants:

The NASCO also has 44 NGOs from the different member states that have observational status during the annual meetings.[8]

Organizational organs

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  • Council
  • North American Commission
  • North-East Atlantic Commission
  • West Greenland Commission
  • International Atlantic Salmon Research Board (IASRB)
  • Secretariat[1]

The secretariat currently has 5 full-time employees based at the Headquarters in Edinburgh, Scotland.[9] In the council, each member state is represented and decisions are made based on a three quarter majority.[10]

The main tasks of the council include:

  • Providing a forum for the study, analysis and exchange of information on salmon.
  • Coordinating the activities of the Commissions.
  • Establishing working arrangements with other fisheries and scientific organizations.
  • Making recommendations for scientific research.[10]

Atlantic Salmon

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Atlantic Salmon Life Cycle

Atlantic Salmon, often referred to as "King of Fish" are anadromous fish. This means they spend a portion of their life cycle in both the fresh and salt water. Adult salmon lay their eggs in freshwater rivers, after the eggs hatch they mature for 1-3 years before migrating to the ocean.[11]

Wild Salmon vs. Farmed

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Norwegian Fish Farming Nets

As the international demand for salmon increase, salmon farming is growing rapidly in order to try and meet the needs of consumers. Salmon farming involves raising salmon in a wide net close to shore for the span of its life cycle. The average lifespan of salmon is typically three years. The salmon first begin in freshwater and are later transported to saltwater until they have matured enough to be sold. [12] A study showed that 70% Atlantic salmon were produced through fish farming. Farmed salmon present a higher level of risk to contain toxins due to their controlled feed containing toxic particles. Some may argue that salmon farming is an eco-friendly form of protein production, however, the excess food waste produced from these farms disturbs aquatic life and can alter the biodiversity. [13]

References

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  1. ^ a b "About". Archived from the original on 15 February 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  2. ^ "Resolutions, Agreements and Guidelines". NASCO. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
  3. ^ http://www.nasco.int/pdf/2019%20papers/FAC(19)03_2020%20Draft%20Budget,%202021%20Forecast%20Budget%20and%20Five-Year%20(2020%20-%202024)%20Budgeting%20Plan.pdf [dead link‍]
  4. ^ "Iceland withdrew from NASCO with effect from 31 December 2009 because of financial considerations, but has indicated that it intends to re-accede to the Convention when the economic situation improves". Archived from the original on 15 February 2012. Retrieved 25 February 2012.
  5. ^ "Finland rights and obligations are transferred to the EU".[permanent dead link‍]
  6. ^ a b "Convention for the conservation of salmon in the North Atlantic ocean".[permanent dead link‍]
  7. ^ "Sweden rights and obligations are transferred to the EU".[permanent dead link‍]
  8. ^ "Accredited NGOs". Archived from the original on 2 March 2020. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  9. ^ "Secretariat". Archived from the original on 2 March 2020. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  10. ^ a b "Council". Archived from the original on 1 February 2020. Retrieved 2 March 2020.
  11. ^ Fisheries, NOAA (17 October 2024). "Atlantic Salmon | NOAA Fisheries". NOAA. Retrieved 28 November 2024.
  12. ^ "What is salmon farming?". globalsalmoninitiative.org. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
  13. ^ "Farmed Salmon: Is It Bad for You and the Environment". 18 November 2022. Retrieved 30 October 2024.
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