The North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission (NPAFC) is an international, inter-governmental organization dedicated to the conservation of anadromous fish stocks in international waters of the North Pacific Ocean and its adjacent seas. It was established on 11 February 1992 by the Convention for the Conservation of Anadromous Stocks in the North Pacific Ocean and originally consisted of four member nations: Canada, Japan, Russian Federation, and United States of America. On 27 May 2003, the Republic of Korea acceded to the Convention bringing the current number of Commission members to five. The primary objective of the Commission is to provide a mechanism for international cooperation promoting the conservation of anadromous stocks in the NPAFC Convention Area of the North Pacific Ocean.

The Convention The North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission (NPAFC) was established by the Convention for the Conservation of Anadromous Stocks in the North Pacific Ocean. On 11 February 1992, the Convention was signed by Canada, Japan, the Russian Federation, and the United States of America, and took effect on 16 February 1993. The Republic of Korea later acceded to the Convention on 27 May 2003. As indicated in the Convention, the main objective of the NPAFC is to promote the conservation of anadromous stocks in the North Pacific Ocean. The NPAFC provides a framework for international cooperation on the scientific research of anadromous species and enforcement of fisheries regulations in the Convention Area. The Convention prohibits directed catch of anadromous fish in the Convention Area, but allows for some fishing of these species for scientific purposes under national and joint research programs with prior approval of the NPAFC. The Convention also includes measures to reduce incidental catch of anadromous fish in other high seas fisheries and prohibits the retention of these species on board fishing vessels in the Convention Area.

Convention Area

The NPAFC Convention area includes the waters of the North Pacific Ocean and adjacent seas (Bering Sea, Sea of Okhotsk), north of 33°N Latitude in international waters beyond the 200-mile zones of coastal states. Although not part of the Convention area, member nations may conduct scientific activities south of 33°N Latitude beyond the 200-mile zone.

Species Anadromous fish covered under the Convention include Pacific salmon and steelhead trout: Chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta) Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch) Pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha) Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka) Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha) Cherry salmon (Oncorhynchus masou) Steelhead trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss)

History

International North Pacific Fisheries Commission (INPFC) Following the conclusion of WWII and the signing of the San Francisco Peace Treaty in 1952, Canada, Japan, and the United States of America entered into a trilateral fisheries convention known as the International Convention for the High Seas Fisheries of the North Pacific Ocean. The Convention was signed by all three parties in Tokyo on 9 May 1952 and entered into force on 12 June 1953, thereby creating the International North Pacific Fisheries Commission (INPFC). INPFC nations worked to ensure the maximum sustained productivity of fishery resources in the North Pacific Ocean while encouraging conservation and contributed to the understanding of anadromous fish species, groundfishes, crabs, and marine mammals in the North Pacific Ocean and Bering Sea by publishing scientific bulletins, annual fisheries statistics, and annual reports.

The International Convention for the High Seas Fisheries of the North Pacific Ocean was especially important to Japan, as it helped re-establish the Japanese fishing fleet grounded by the Allied Occupation and provided access to fishing grounds northeast of Hokkaido in the North Pacific. In addition to re-mobilizing the Japanese fishing fleet, however, the Convention established a western abstention line—the westernmost limit the Japanese fleet could fish in the North Pacific Ocean.

The INPFC treaty worked in concert with multiple bi-lateral treaties between Canada, Japan, the USSR, and the US to create a tapestry of policies that formed a North Pacific fisheries management regime. The first significant change to the INPFC treaty came in 1978 after a year of negotiations between members about access to salmon outside of a country's potential Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ)—a concept developed at the third United Nations Convention on the Law of the Sea (UNCLOS III) in 1973. Most provisions of the original treaty remained in place and a new abstention line at 175° east longitude was developed for Japanese salmon fisherman. The conclusion of UNCLOS III in 1982 and ongoing discussions of a moratorium on pelagic salmon fishing in the North Pacific prompted calls for a re-negotiation of an international salmon treaty by Canada, the US, and the USSR. Japan at first objected to these calls, believing the INPFC framework currently in place to be sufficient, but agreed to re-negotiate a treaty in fear of being excluded from international salmon talks.

Establishment of the NPAFC On 11 February 1992, Canada, Japan, Russian Federation, and United States of America signed the Convention for the Conservation of Anadromous Stocks in the North Pacific Ocean. The INPFC dissolved on 16 February 1993 in favor of the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission.

The inaugural meeting of the NPAFC was held at the Ottawa Conference Centre in Ottawa, Canada on 24 February 1993, and delegates from Canada, Japan, Russian Federation, and United States of America participated. In accordance with the Convention, the NPAFC adopted rules of procedure, financial rules, and established an organizational structure for the Commission. The Canadian delegation offered to house the Secretariat at the University of British Columbia free of cost, which the Commission accepted. To aid in the transition from INPFC to NPAFC, the Commission decided INPFC funds be used to complete any outstanding INPFC projects and help fund initial operating costs of the NPAFC. The inaugural meeting also decided on the first provisional budget and selected an interim President & Vice-President on ex officio basis until the First Annual Meeting in November, 1993. Finally, a logo committee was created to design the first NPAFC logo which was selected at the First Annual Meeting in Vancouver, Canada. The First President and Vice-President took office 1 November 1993.

On 27 May 2003, the Republic of Korea acceded to the convention in accordance with Article XVIII of the Convention and became the fifth member of the NPAFC.

Organizational structure

The Commission structure was established by the Convention and consists of five parties (member nations). Each party has one vote in the Commission and may appoint up to three representatives. A President and Vice-President are chosen in accordance with Section VIII, Article 11 of the Convention and are considered officers of the Commission.

In accordance with the Convention, the Commission elects a President and Vice-President who serve two-year terms with the condition that both positions are not held by representatives of the same party. Suam Kim (Republic of Korea) currently holds the office of President and James Balsiger (USA) holds the office of Vice-President.

The Commission comprises three committees: the Committee on Scientific Research and Statistics (CSRS), the Committee on Enforcement (ENFO), and the Committee on Finance & Administration (F&A). The current Chairpersons of the three NPAFC Committees are: Masa-aki Fukuwaka (CSRS), Mike Carlson (ENFO), and Vladimir Belyaev (F&A).

The Secretariat is led by an Executive Director and a Deputy Director. The Secretariat is responsible for logistics planning, publishing, and coordinating the flow of information between parties. The Secretariat has five full-time staff members and runs a 6-month internship program which provides young professionals with experience in the operations of an intergovernmental fisheries organization.

+ Past Officers Term President Vice-President 1993–1995 Vyacheslav Zilanov Koji Imamura 1995–1997 Koji Imamura David Bevan 1997–1999 David Bevan Fran Ulmer 1999–2001 Fran Ulmer Anatoly Makoedov 2001–2003 Anatoly Makoedov Koji Imamura 2003–2005 Koji Imamura Guy Beaupré 2005–2007 Guy Beaupré Jae Hak Son 2007–2008 Dohyung Koo James Balsiger 2008–2009 Suam Kim James Balsiger 2009–2011 James Balsiger Vladimir Belyaev 2011–2014 Vladimir Belyaev Junichiro Okamoto 2014–2016 Junichiro Okamoto Robin Brown, Carmel Lowe 2016–2018 Carmel Lowe Jeongseok Park, Suam Kim 2018–2021 Suam Kim James Balsiger, Doug Mecum

+ Past NPAFC Chairpersons Term CSRS ENFO F&A 1993–1996 Leo Margolis Rick Lauber, Vladimir Izmailov Rick Lauber 1996–1997 Loh-Lee Low Satoshi Watanabe, Shuji Ishida Vladimir Izmailov 1997–1999 Oleg Gritsenko Dennis Brock Shuji Ishida, Ryozo Kaminokado 1991–2001 Yukimasa Ishida Vincent O'Shea Aaron Sarna, Gerry Kristianson2001–2003 Richard Beamish Igor Rypalov James Balsiger 2003–2005 Loh-Lee Low Takashi Kato, Akihiro Kizukawa, Koji Miyaura Vladimir Shevlyakov 2005–2007 Vladimir Karpenko Michael Cerne Koji Miyaura, Kazuaki Tanaka, Hiromi Isa 2007–2009 Yukimasa Ishida Robert Martinolich Sergey Maksimov 2009–2011 Jin Yeong Kim Jun Imamura Gerry Kristianson 2011–2014 Mark Saunders Jeongseok Park Gary Smith 2014–2016 Loh-Lee Low Alexey Monakhov, Oleg Volkov Jeongseok Park 2016–2018 Igor Melnikov Phillip Thorne, Steven White Junichiro Okamoto 2018–2021 Masa-aki Fukuwaka Mike Carlson, Brad Wattie Vladimir Belyaev

Science

Catch and Hatchery Statistics Directed fishing for anadromous stocks in the Convention Area is prohibited, unless for scientific purposes with prior approval from the NPAFC. Directed fisheries and stock assessment activities are conducted by each member nation within their territorial waters. Catch and Hatchery statistics from these activities are reported to NPAFC. Recently, the Commission has created electronic data files that combine catch and hatchery statistics with time-series data and these data files are available to the public.

Pacific Salmon and Steelhead High-Seas Tag Recovery Program Tagging of salmon and steelhead with disk tags on high seas research cruises has been conducted since the 1950s in the North Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Alaska, and the Bering Sea. Tag recoveries are used to investigate ocean distribution, migration, and growth of salmon at sea. Some fish may also carry an electronic tag which provides information on the behavior of individual fish, including swimming depth, and additional information on the salmon's habitat.

Committee on Scientific Research and Statistics (CSRS) The purpose of the Committee on Scientific Research and Statistics (CSRS) is to provide scientific information to the NPAFC on the state of anadromous stocks and any ecologically related species within the Convention Area, promote the collection, analysis, and exchange of scientific data and specimens, coordinate international efforts to conserve anadromous stocks, review scientific research programs in the Convention Area and adjacent waters, and make recommendations to the NPAFC. The meetings of the CSRS are held during the annual meetings of the NPAFC.

The CSRS has the following sub-committees and working groups: Science Sub-Committee Working Group on Stock Assessment Working Group on Salmon Marking Working Group on Stock Identification International Year of the Salmon Working Group (discontinued 2023) BASIS Working Group (discontinued 2015) Working Group on Salmon Tagging (discontinued 2016)

NPAFC Science Plan