International Union for the Conservation of Nature (IUCN)

  Amendment to the 2008 Red List Assessment of Sockeye Salmon Released!

Photo courtesy of WSC staff

The IUCN Salmonid Specialist Group (SSG) is pleased to announce the completion of an amendment to the 2008 Red List assessment for Oncorhynchus nerka, an iconic salmon species found in the North Pacific.  The species is known by a variety of common names, including  sockeye salmon (derived from the native Salish name suk-kegh, sθə́qəy̓), red salmon, nerka and benizake.  

The original assessment encompassed the entire range of the species, and the amendment reflects a reevaluation of subpopulations in the province of British Columbia, Canada.  This amendment represents an unprecedented collaboration between the SSG, a bilateral treaty organization (Pacific Salmon Commission) and a government fisheries agency (Fisheries and Oceans Canada). 

In the amendment, the species global status remains the same (Least Concern), but the assessment at the subpopulation scale resulted in an increase in the total number of subpopulations (from 80 extant subpopulations in the original assessment to a total of 93 in the amendment).  Results reported in the amendment still point to a broad region in the southeastern extension of their North American range with elevated threats, underscoring the need for continued conservation action.

In summary, two subpopulations are listed as Near Threatened, three as Vulnerable, 12 as Endangered, and four as Critically Endangered.  Thus 31% of assessed subpopulations are considered threatened against IUCN criteria.  Further, 32% of all extant subpopulations are considered Data Deficient, and hence their status is not known.   A full description of the results of the amendment can be found on the IUCN Red List site.  In addition, a special website has been launched that provides an engaging summary of the results and allows the user to fully explore the data used in the assessment. Launch Visual Sockeye.

Key conclusions and recommendations from our work on this species:

• Since the last glacial period, natural processes of colonization and adaptation have resulted in at least 98 unique subpopulations of sockeye salmon across their range.
• Five subpopulations are now extinct.
• Approximately 1 out of every3 of the subpopulations we identified lack basic information to determine their status.
• Approximately 1 out of every 4 subpopulations we assessed are threatened, and the ones at greatest risk are located in the southern range of their distribution in North America.
• Threats are many and diverse, including habit deterioration, overfishing, dams, artificial propagation, and disease risk. Climate change is likely to increase risk to salmon in the future, particularly those in southern locations.
• We recommend implementing new wild salmon policies, restructuring coastal and river fisheries, adapting and reforming monitoring practices, and initiating new research efforts.