Overview
This FIP includes coastal trap nets and in-river beach seines used to capture pink and chum salmon in the sea and rivers of Northern Sakhalin in Okhinskii District. An MSC pre-assessment was completed for the fishery in 2017. The pre-assessment included five fishing companies who were interested in pursuing certification. Since completion of the pre-assessment in 2017, four (Krasnya Zarya Ltd; NazRybZavod Ltd; Neptun Ltd; and Vostok Ltd.) of the companies merged into one (Rybnovskii Losos Ltd). The remaining companies, Okha Ltd and Rybnovskii Losos Ltd, are now active FIP participants. These companies are relatively new to the region but have demonstrated a desire to sustain the fishing resources over the long-term to promote economic stability of the region by choosing sustainable fishing practices. Other Sakhalin Island salmon fisheries have sought to achieve MSC certification over the past decade. The Aniva Bay pink salmon fishery on Southern Sakhalin Island entered full MSC assessment in 2010 but withdrew in 2014 after several consecutive poor salmon returns to the region. The Northeast Sakhalin pink salmon fishery successfully achieved MSC certification in 2012, however the certification was suspended in 2015 due to financial reasons. Okha Ltd and Rybnovskii losos are launching the first-ever comprehensive FIP on Sakhalin with a goal to achieve MSC Certification. Launching this FIP will potentially allow the fishery-clients to access new markets in North America and Europe.
The Okhinskii District in Northern Sakhalin is remote with few roads and relatively sparse populations. As a result, the habitat is largely intact. There are no hatcheries located in the District so impacts to wild salmon populations due to enhancement activities are minimal. Although illegal fishing activities are known to be a problem on Sakhalin Island, the low population density and poor road access likely limit poaching in Northern Sakhalin. However, measures are needed to further strengthen enforcement and compliance in the district.
The pre-assessment identified a number of issues that would likely prevent the fishery from achieving MSC certification in the near future:
- Pink salmon populations have been declining in recent years as evidenced by decreasing fishery catches and spawning escapements well below management targets.
- While chum salmon catches have remained relatively stable in recent years, spawning escapements have also been well below management targets.
- Sakhalin taimen and Kaluga sturgeon are considered ETP species that are known to be in the area. These species likely interact with the fishery but information is lacking.
This FIP is designed to address these issues and others identified in the pre-assessment so that the fishery can achieve MSC certification by 2022.
This FIP includes coastal trap nets and in-river beach seines used to capture pink and chum salmon in the sea and rivers of Northern Sakhalin in Okhinskii District. An MSC pre-assessment was completed for the fishery in 2017.
Achieve MSC certification by October 2022.
