Atlantic Salmon Research Joint Venture

“Shaping the future of wild Atlantic Salmon science and conservation”

About

Fisheries and Oceans Canada created the Atlantic Salmon Research Joint Venture in 2016 to establish partnerships and collaboration among federal, provincial and state agencies, Indigenous organizations and governments, non-governmental organizations and academic institutions in Canada and the United States to develop a comprehensive understanding of the causes of the global decline of Atlantic Salmon.

Wild Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) is a migratory species that is born and grows in rivers in eastern North America and western Europe, spends most of its adult life in the North Atlantic Ocean and returns to its natal rivers after a long migration at sea. Salmon face many natural dangers and human-caused threats in fresh, estuarine, and marine habitats. The challenges encountered by these fish are complex. Understanding why populations continue their decades-long decline requires the combined capacity of many agencies on an international scale.

Mission

Scientists working together to advance knowledge on wild Atlantic salmon by identifying common scientific objectives; sharing expertise and resources; and generating knowledge that improves conservation and management for the sustainability of the resource in North America.

The Joint Venture to date

The Joint Venture was very active in celebrating in 2019 the International Year of the Salmon with the hosting of the first Canadian Atlantic Salmon Ecosystem Forum examining “salmon and people in a changing world”.

One of the most important accomplishment of this partnership is the production of a five year Atlantic Salmon Research Joint Venture Science Plan. This Plan represents a consensus of the Atlantic salmon science community in North America as to the most pressing and important knowledge gaps to be resolved and will guide research and science activities to assist conservation efforts into the future.

Related links

• Projects funded under the Collaborative Atlantic Salmon Research Projects