World's Leading Salmon Conservation Experts to meet in Vancouver

Vancouver, June 3, 2003 - World Summit on Salmon
June 10-13, 2003
SFU's Morris J. Wosk Centre for Dialogue

The world's salmon are under siege. Despite the efforts of advocates, academics, governments, fisheries managers and a concerned public, many of the world's salmon populations continue to decline under numerous environmental and economic pressures. This stark reality will be addressed in Vancouver by many of the world's leading salmon scientists, conservationists and managers at next week's World Summit on Salmon. This Summit is being held at the Wosk Centre for Dialogue which is a UN style venue where each participant has a microphone and sits in the round. This format will allow full discussions, sharing of ideas and allow real progress to be made on solutions.

"The current global collapse of fisheries underscores the critical objective of this summit people with world class skills coming together to look at conservation challenges and search for new solutions. Finding new answers is essential because conventional approaches are failing", said Craig Orr, Director of the Watershed Watch Salmon Society. Dr. Orr is also Associate Director of SFU's Centre for Coastal Studies, the summit's host.

"There are many serious pressures on the world's salmon resource", added the Honourable John Fraser, chair of the Pacific Fisheries Resource Conservation Council, one the summit's principal sponsors. "It is incumbent on us to take stock of what we know, what we do not know and what we should know to ensure the salmon is saved. That's why this summit is so important".

Delegates at the World Summit on Salmon will discuss the following issues:

* current stock status for salmon in the Pacific and North Atlantic,
* knowledge gaps in salmon science,
* factors threatening the future of wild salmon including climate change,
* aquaculture and hatchery policies, overfishing, habitat destruction, urbanizations and pollution.

Some of the conservation solutions to be discussed include:

* government policies for the protection of wild salmon,
* applications of the precautionary principle and approach, marine reserves,
* full cost accounting,
* incentives for conservation and to prevent overfishing.

To register or obtain more information about the World Summit on Salmon, go to: http://www.sfu.ca/cstudies/science/summit/Summit_Salmon.pdf

Following the Vancouver summit will be the World Summit on Salmon Satellite Conference, to be held in Port Alberni and Bamfield from June 14-16. The West Coast Vancouver Island Aquatic Management Board will host the satellite conference. This less formal venue will provide delegates with the opportunity to observe first hand some of the issues raised at the main summit, and meet with community representatives involved in salmon protection at the local level. For more information, go to: http://www.sfu.ca/cstudies/science/WCVI_community.pdf

For more information, contact:

Craig Orr
Secratariat for the World Summit on Salmon
604-936-9474

Gordon Ennis
Managing Director Pacific Fisheries Resource Conservation Council
604-775-6070
ennis@fish.bc.ca

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