North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission
Official Logo of the NPAFC
|
|
NPAFC Convention Area in the North Pacific Ocean and adjacent seas
|
|
| Abbreviation | NPAFC |
|---|---|
| Predecessor | International North Pacific Fisheries Commission |
| Formation | February 11, 1992 |
| Headquarters | Vancouver, BC, Canada |
|
President
|
 Carmel Lowe |
|
Vice-President
|
 Suam Kim |
|
Executive Director
|
 Vladimir Radchenko |
|
Deputy Director
|
Jeongseok Park |
| Website | Official Website |
| Members: Canada, Japan, Republic of Korea, Russian Federation, USA | |
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 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.
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.
Anadromous fish covered under the Convention include Pacific salmon and steelhead trout:
From INPFC to NPAFC: A History of the Commission
...
Wikipedia