The Conservation of Wild Atlantic Salmon

NASCO has adopted a number of Resolutions, Agreements and Guidelines that address the Organization’s principal areas of concern for the management of salmon stocks. To improve commitment to these, each jurisdiction has developed Implementation Plans detailing the measures to be taken over five year periods in relation to three areas of concern:

• Management of salmon fisheries;
• Protection and restoration of Atlantic salmon habitat; and
• Management of aquaculture, introductions and transfers and transgenics.

Implementation Plans and Annual Progress Reports provide a succinct, transparent, fair and balanced approach for reporting on the implementation of NASCO’s Resolutions, Agreements and Guidelines by the Parties / jurisdictions.

Implementation Plans

Implementation Plans are the key documents in the third and current reporting cycle. They are focused around the three theme areas and emphasise:

• the actions to be taken over the period of the Implementation Plan (2019 – 2024);
• clearly identifiable measurable outcomes and timescales; and
•  appropriate monitoring to evaluate the effectiveness of the measures taken.

Annual Progress Reports

The Annual Progress Reports are the primary medium through which NASCO is able to assess progress towards the achievement of its Resolutions, Agreements and Guidelines and report on its activities through the provision of:

• any changes to the management regime for salmon and consequent changes to the Implementation Plan;
• actions that have been taken under the Implementation Plan in the previous year; 
• significant changes to the status of stocks, and a report on catches; and
• actions taken in accordance with the provisions of the Convention.

Reporting Cycles

There have been three cycles of Implementation Plans and Annual Progress Reports to date:

• First Reporting Cycle (2007 – 2012)
• Second Reporting Cycle (2013 – 2018)
• Third Reporting Cycle (2019 – 2024)