Improving Community Capacity for Salmon Conservation on Sakhalin Island, Russia

Sergey Didenko

The remaining population of the endangered Sakhalin taimen, an ancient apex predator salmonid, is centered on Sakhalin island, Russia. The population continues to be on severe decline due to impacts of extractive industries, poaching and habitat loss. Our goal is to conserve salmonid biodiversity and increase their abundance through effectively addressing threats to fish population and ecosystem health in key Sakhalin watersheds. We propose to adapt the Langry river Conservation Action Plan (CAP) in order to scale up and implement CAPs in four other key basins through formed public-private Public Salmon Councils. Methods include providing training, assisting with planning, identifying local leaders, and engaging stakeholders and decision makers.