Technical Report 23

Preface:
The First North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission (NPAFC) Workshop on Developing a Mechanistic Understanding of the Impact of a Changing Climate on Salmon Abundance and Distribution Trends was held at the Vancouver Airport Marriott Hotel in Richmond, Canada, from June 4–5, 2024.  The Workshop was organized by the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission (NPAFC) and the Workshop Organizing Committee consisted of scientists from Canada, Japan, Republic of Korea, the Russian Federation, and the United States.

The workshop was the first held under the 2023–2027 NPAFC Science plan. The 2023–2027 Science Plan is germane to NPAFC’s primary objective of promoting the conservation of anadromous populations of Pacific salmon and steelhead trout within the Convention Area. The primary goal of the Science Plan is to establish a research framework to develop a mechanistic understanding of the impact of changing climate on salmon abundance trends and distribution in the North Pacific Ocean. Research objectives are to: (1) improve knowledge of the relative biomass, distribution, migration, and fitness of Pacific salmon in the ocean (Present Status); and (2) understand causes and anticipate changes in the production of Pacific salmon and the marine ecosystems producing them (Forward Action). The NPAFC Science Plan research themes include: (1) Status of Pacific salmon and steelhead trout; (2) Pacific salmon and steelhead trout in a changing North Pacific Ocean; (3) New technologies; (4) Management systems; and (5) Integrated information systems.

This was the first hybrid workshop hosted by the NPAFC and over 70 scientists, industry representatives, and fisheries officials attended. Virtual presentations were given from Nanaimo (Canada), Tokyo (Japan), Moscow (Russia), Vladivostok (Russia), and Juneau (USA). In total, there were five poster presentations and 26 oral presentations spanning three topic sessions including: (1) Pacific Salmon and Steelhead Trout in a Changing North Pacific Ocean (Forward Action); (2) New Technologies; and (3) New Results from the International Year of the Salmon Surveys (Special Session).

On behalf of the Workshop Organizing Committee, we thank all presenters and participants for sharing information at the workshop and for submitting materials for this volume.

Technical Report No. 23 is a compilation of extended abstracts submitted by workshop presenters. Material in this report has not been peer-reviewed and does not necessarily reflect the views of NPAFC, member countries, or authors’ agencies. Some work may be preliminary. The abstracts have been edited for clarity and publication purposes.

William Stanbury
NPAFC Secretariat