Chum salmon

The stocks of chum salmon in Alaska are in good condition. In most major fishing areas, target levels for the number of returning spawning fish are being met and there are no indications of overfishing. The stocks are intensively monitored and managed based on the number of salmon reaching the spawning grounds.

Fishing with drift gillnets, troll lines and purse seines has various environmental impacts. Drift gillnets have bycatch of vulnerable (ETP) species, although reliable data on the extent of this are lacking. Fisheries using troll lines and purse seines have little bycatch of vulnerable species and less bycatch of non-target species than gillnets. None of the three fishing methods causes damage to the seabed and CO₂ emissions are low. The impact on the ecosystem is expected to be limited, although the role of salmon as a keystone species remains a concern.

Management is considered largely effective. The fishery is managed based on the number of returning spawning fish and catches are recorded daily. There are no FIPs, but the fisheries are MSC-certified.

The stocks of chum salmon on the west coast of Kamchatka are in good condition. Most stocks are at a sustainable level, although some stocks have not yet reached the desired level or their status is unknown. Current fishing pressure is close to the upper limit of what is considered sustainable.

Fishing with beach seines has little bycatch of vulnerable (ETP) species, although reliable data are lacking due to the absence of an observer programme. Discards are limited and the catch consists almost entirely of target species. Beach seines can locally disturb the seabed in river mouths and estuaries, but the impact remains limited. CO₂ emissions are low and the risk of lost fishing gear is moderate. Drift gillnets have more bycatch of ETP species than beach seines and are therefore less sustainable.

Management is considered partially effective. Most stocks are well monitored and escapement targets have been established for many rivers, but enforcement of the rules and efforts to combat illegal fishing remain inadequate. Part of the fishery is MSC-certified and several FIPs are also underway.

Several fisheries for chum salmon are MSC-certified. These use a wide range of fishing methods, including the “fish wheel”, a wheel with dip nets attached that rotates in the current and scoops fish from the water, after which they fall into a holding basin. Salmon fisheries in the Pacific are well regulated and the fishing methods cause little damage to the environment. MSC-certified chum salmon is caught using gillnets, drifting longlines and purse seines.

The status of stocks of chum salmon in the coastal waters of Hokkaido, Japan, is moderate. Stocks fluctuate considerably but show an overall declining trend. Due to climate change, dependence on stocking programmes and the lack of reference values, it is unclear how high sustainable fishing pressure is.

Fishing with drift gillnets and fixed pound nets (see: fyke nets) has bycatch of vulnerable (ETP) species, such as marine mammals, sea turtles and seabirds. Fyke nets are more selective and have fewer discards, lower bycatch and a smaller impact on the ecosystem than gillnets. Both fishing methods cause little to no damage to the seabed, but insufficient data are available on the overall impact on the ecosystem.

Management is considered partially effective. There is no specific management plan for chum salmon and wild populations are mainly supported through stocking programmes. Protection of vulnerable species and monitoring of bycatch are inadequate, although efforts to combat illegal fishing have improved in recent years. The former MSC certification for the Hokkaido set-net fishery has since been withdrawn.