Salmon management systems
In December 2020, William Atlas et. al published a paper discussing Indigenous management systems for salmon. The authors emphasize differences from contemporary management systems in terms of cultural values, which affect decisions made in regards to resource management and access, as well as local governance.
Atlas, William I, et al. “Indigenous Systems of Management for Culturally and Ecologically Resilient Pacific Salmon
(Oncorhynchus Spp.) Fisheries.” BioScience, vol. 71, no. 2, 2020, pp. 186–204., doi:10.1093/biosci/biaa144.
With traditional values and knowledge regarding the protection of natural systems, “gained through the continuous observation of natural systems,” pre colonial Indigenous populations that witnessed the growing human population in the Pacific Northwest gained an increased awareness of food security. In regards to salmon, this enabled ceremonial practices that “reflected the place of salmon as a vital economic and subsistence resource.” Such relationships with salmon have shaped Indigenous management systems for salmon, which the authors contrast with contemporary management systems’ prioritization of abundant salmon harvests over qualities like equitable access to salmon or the conservation of salmon.
Another 2020 study, conducted by Brendan M. Connors et. al, quantitatively established several trade-offs between abundant, mixed-stock harvest, equity, and the conservation of salmon population diversity. The study focused on the three following policies:
The authors found that, by switching from the MSY policy to the conservation policy, there would be a 20% decrease in average annual harvest, but also a “near complete elimination of risk of driving weak populations to extinction.” On the other hand, switching from the MSY policy to the subsistence policy would increase harvest stability by 22%, and increase the probability of meeting tributary goals by 84%.
In the image on the right, the trade-offs in question are visually represented. The magnitude of the harvest per policy is depicted in (a), and the stability of each harvest in figure (b). "Chance trib. goals met" in figure (c) refers to the probability of tributary spawner goals being met, and serves as the measure the authors use for equitable access to salmon. Figure (d) displays the risk, per policy, of driving weak populations to extinction.
Connors, Brendan M., et al. “Incorporating Harvest–Population Diversity Trade-Offs into Harvest Policy Analyses of Salmon Management in Large River Basins.”
Sources
Atlas, William I, et al. “Indigenous Systems of Management for Culturally and Ecologically Resilient Pacific Salmon
(Oncorhynchus Spp.) Fisheries.” BioScience, vol. 71, no. 2, 2020, pp. 186–204., doi:10.1093/biosci/biaa144.
Connors, Brendan M., et al. “Incorporating Harvest–Population Diversity Trade-Offs into Harvest Policy Analyses of
Salmon Management in Large River Basins.” Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences, vol. 77, no. 6, 2020,
pp. 1076–1089., doi:10.1139/cjfas-2019-0282.