New research into the impact of small-scale fisheries on sustainable development goals is featured on the cover of Nature.
Small-scale fisheries play a significant but overlooked role in global fisheries production and are key to addressing hunger and malnutrition while supporting livelihoods around the world, according to research featured on the cover of Nature in Jan. 2025. Published by an international team of scientists, including Professor Chris Anderson from the University of Washington School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences, the study is the first to rigorously quantify how marine and inland small-scale fisheries contribute to aquatic harvests and nutritional and socioeconomic security on a global scale.
“This project is particularly important because it is the largest effort to systematically collect data describing the contributions of small-scale fisheries to the multiple dimensions of fishery outcomes,” said Chris Anderson. “This includes several places where fisheries contribute to the UN’s Sustainable Development Goals, including eliminating hunger, eliminating poverty, ensuring gender inclusive development, and supporting ecologically healthy oceans.”
The international team, consisting of scientists from almost 10 different countries, found that fisheries that rely on labor-intensive, relatively low-tech methods make surprisingly large contributions to societies, economies and diets around the world. “Illuminating the large scale of these small-scale contributions will provide small scale harvesters and shoreside participants with voice and visibility in policymaking circles. More systematic data will also make it possible to study the mechanisms that support higher levels of small-scale fishery benefits, including food provision and social and economic safety nets, from the very diverse resources and circumstances in which small-scale fishing occurs,” Chris Anderson added.
50 years ago in 1974, Judge George Boldt made a ruling in the case of U.S. v. Washington State, which upheld Tribal treaty-reserved fishing rights. This upheld the Tribe’s entitlement to half the harvestable number of salmon returning to or passing through the Tribes’ usual and accustomed fishing places, and established the Tribes as co-managers of the salmon resource with the state. It also required the state to take actions to sustain the resources, mentioned directly in the ruling: “The most fundamental prerequisite to exercising the right to take fish is the existence of fish to be taken.” This became known as the Boldt Decision.
50 years later on November 21, 2024, the UW School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences (SAFS) hosted this year’s annual Bevan Seminar as a special one-day symposium reflecting on Tribal fisheries, their co-management since this landmark decision, and what the the next 50 years will look like for Washington fisheries. Centering on Tribal voices, the symposium heard from Tribal leaders, elders, scientists, artists and lawyers, through a series of panels and Q&A discussions.
Many of us working or studying at the University of Washington hadn’t heard about the Boldt Decision until recently. As someone relatively new to both UW and to Washington, this was certainly true for me. When sitting through the symposium, I wondered how many others might be unaware of this ruling, why it came about, and its impact on two core parts of Washington: salmon and the Tribes.
Niamh Owen-McLaughlin
Director of SAFS, Tim Essington, gives his opening address.
Beginning the event with a prayer from Phil Hamilton from the Muckleshoot Tribe and an opening address from SAFS Director, Tim Essington, members of the audience heard about the stories and people behind the Boldt Decision. Discussions covered why salmon are so important to Washington Tribes – culturally, spiritually, economically – and accounts of the struggles to uphold Treaty-reserved fishing rights. The 200 or so members of the audience were also reminded by Chairman Jaison Elkins from the Muckleshoot Tribe that: “If you want to be a good fisherman, you need to be a good biologist. Our Tribes have always believed in science and observations to protect our salmon.”
One of the strong messages emerging from the event was the need to protect salmon, in the face of many threats including climate change, and for a whole host of reasons including subsistence, economic development, cultural practices, and conservation. Scott Schuyler from the Upper Skagit Tribe told us that: “When our ancestors signed the Treaty, they sacrificed everything to reserve this right to fish in perpetuity. What it means, is when the fish are gone, it’s diminished the right and value of the Treaty.” As pointed out by Mary Neil, a member of the Lummi Nation and attorney for the Muckleshoot Tribe, and whose decision to attend law school was partly because of the Boldt Decision, the fight isn’t just for fishing rights and the ability to fish, “but to protect our way of life.”
An important reason for SAFS hosting this event was to help educate those in our programs, and in the wider community both internally and externally to UW (me included), about what exactly the Boldt Decision was, and its lasting impact on Tribal fisheries in Washington. The first panel of the day did just this as it focused on the challenges, successes, and opportunities for co-management. A strong message heard during this panel was the way Tribes have taken a hearts and mind approach to co-management: “Telling the State what’s in our heart but telling them in a way in which the State understands – technically”.
Niamh Owen-McLaughlin
The event heard unique insights into the challenges, successes and future of co-management of fisheries in Washington.
Another recurring theme, and a challenge faced by Tribes, was the need to re-educate co-managers on their treaty rights, especially as new people come in with changes in local, state, and federal government every few years. This highlighted how the younger generation of scientists coming out of institutions such as the fisheries program at UW, have a key role in learning from Tribes and being a part of that ongoing re-education when working in future careers in public, private and government sectors. “It shouldn’t just be Tribal people reminding the government of the law of the land, it should be everyone”, said Maia Bellon from Cascadia Law Group.
The second panel discussed sustaining Tribal fisheries for the next 50 years. Apart from acknowledging the mass of sustainability challenges – particularly for salmon which require intact ecosystems from the land to the sea – we were also reminded that it is the joint responsibility of everyone to ensure the sustainability of fisheries. This responsibility doesn’t fall solely at the hands of the Tribes.
Finishing up the panel session part of the day was a discussion of Tribal fisheries’ cultural resiliency and food sovereignty during a time of climate change. A central takeaway was the need for Tribes to be sitting at management tables with equal status by being present in management schemes and policy strategy discussions, at every step of the way.
To end the day, SAFS PhD student, Nicole Doran, who helped organize the event, led a Q&A discussion about dos and don’ts for respectful research collaboration with Tribes, with participation from Vanessa Castle (Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, Ridges to Riffles) and Ashley Nicole Lewis (Quinault Nation, Bad Ash Outdoors). Starting from a place of trust-building and relationship-building is essential and should precede any collaborative work with Tribes. Traditional ecological knowledge is not something that should be co-opted by non-Indigenous scientists because it removes that knowledge from the communities and from places where that knowledge was developed.
Niamh Owen-McLaughlin
Nicole Doran (SAFS PhD student), Vanessa Castle (Lower Elwha Klallam Tribe, Ridges to Riffles) and Ashley Nicole Lewis (Quinault Nation, Bad Ash Outdoors), conduct a Q&A session on dos and don’ts for respectful research collaboration with Tribes.
“We also talked a lot about consent – it’s really important to establish clear boundaries with collaborators, especially over data ownership, the intentions behind a collaboration, and the objectives of the project. ‘No means no’ definitely applies here, and if you are not sure what a collaborator’s boundaries are, it is always important to ask,” Nicole shared. “Putting in the work before starting the work” was another strong message coming through the Q&A session. Before reaching out to a Tribe, familiarize yourself with the Tribe you are interested in working with, find out who would be the best person to connect with, and really take the time to examine what your own intentions are.
“During this event, the UW community was incredibly fortunate to hear – and learn from – leaders and elders from different Washington Tribes,” Tim Essington said in his closing address. “The success of this symposium will be judged by what happens next – how we work to teach our graduate and undergraduate students about Tribal treaty rights, and how we meaningfully engage in our shared responsibility to protect our aquatic ecosystems.”
We would like to extend a special thank you to all of the panelists who joined us and made this event possible, and who took the time to provide their unique insights into the challenges, successes and future of co-management of fisheries in Washington:
Every November, UW recognizes Native American History Month, celebrating the traditions, cultures, languages and stories of Native American, Alaska Native, Native Hawaiian, and affiliated Island communities and ensure their rich histories and contributions continue to thrive with each passing generation. For more information and resources, click here.
Nestled among a set of glacial lakes in the Wood River system is where scientists with the Alaska Salmon Program spend their summers. From students just beginning their research journeys in aquatic sciences, to seasoned field technicians and faculty, the camps based on Lake Aleknagik and Lake Nerka are the temporary home for both scientists and the fish that they are studying: Pacific salmon.
Niamh Owen-McLaughlin
Tens of millions of sockeye salmon return to Alaska’s freshwater systems each year.
Five different types of Pacific salmon return to the western Alaskan watersheds of the Nushugak River system each summer, but the sockeye salmon is the predominant one in the Wood River system, where the Alaska Salmon Program conducts much of its research. Changing from a silver color in the marine environment to a startling red when they return to freshwater systems, sockeye salmon are one of nature’s most impressive migrations. Year after year, tens of millions of sockeye salmon return to the freshwater systems in which they were born, to continue the cycle of spawning for the next generation of fish.
Niamh Owen-McLaughlin
Researchers collect data on salmon abundance, sex ratios, spatial distributions across spawning areas, species differentiation, and ages of returning salmon from otoliths (the ear stones of fish).
The Alaska Salmon Program at UW, formerly known as the Fisheries Research Institute (FRI), has been running since the 1940s and continues to this day to deliver the latest insights into Alaska and one of the world’s important aquatic ecosystems and fisheries. It’s also a program that trains the next generation of fishery and aquatic scientists in an immersive, hands-on, and real-world environment that undergoes a huge transformation each year. To date, hundreds of students have visited the field camps in Alaska, with many going on to work in fields such as fishery and wildlife management, environmental education and academia.
Niamh Owen-McLaughlin
Hundreds of students have visited the field camps in Alaska since the 1940s, learning essential skills for fishery and aquatic scientists.
So, what does an average day with the Alaska Salmon Program look like? Collecting data on salmon abundance, sex ratios, spatial distributions across spawning areas, species differentiation, and ages of returning salmon from otoliths are just some of the things feeding into the Alaska Salmon Program’s long-term monitoring program. Otoliths, the ear stones of fish which provide information on size and age, are taken from dead salmon which have completed spawning or have been killed by bears.
Niamh Owen-McLaughlin
Otoliths, the ear stones of fish which provide information on size and age, are taken from dead salmon which have completed spawning or have been killed by bears.
Another area of research is limnology, which is the study of inland aquatic ecosystems, involving researchers going out on skiffs to various points around the lakes to collect samples including temperature and presence of aquatic organisms like zooplankton, which are the primary food for juvenile sockeye salmon that rear in the lakes before migrating to the ocean.
Niamh Owen-McLaughlin
The long-term monitoring data gives insight into the impact of climate change on these ecosystems and how the fish are responding as they return to the streams to spawn.
All of this data feeds into the Alaska Salmon Program’s long-term monitoring program that tracks abundance and the impact of wider issues like climate change on these ecosystems. All the different streams and lakes in these watersheds react differently to climate, as do the fish in them – from migrating fish like sockeye salmon to resident fish like rainbow trout and grayling. The data generated from long-term monitoring efforts and research therefore give insight into the impact of climate change on these ecosystems and how the fish are responding when they travel up the streams to spawn.
Another key part of the work of the Alaska Salmon Program is its pre-season forecasts provided to the fishing industry that operates out of Bristol Bay. Forecasts on fish runs and age/weight of fish is important for the management of commercial fisheries as the forecasts allow managers and fishers to fine-tune their operational plans for the following season A new development in this work is providing an earlier pre-season forecast as the industry begins planning for the next season’s operations, even as the current season is winding down.
Watch Part 1 of our mini series with the Alaska Salmon Program
Watch Part 2 of our mini series with the Alaska Salmon Program
Did you know, Aleknagik means ‘Wrong Way’ in Yupik? The Wood River is a major tributary of the Nushagak River, joining the main river near the coast at what is present-day Dillingham. In pre-historic times, if residents traveling inland from the coast reached Lake Aleknagik via Wood River, they knew they’d gone the wrong way if they had actually intended to navigate up the mainstem of the Nushagak.
Ray Hilborn, UW professor of aquatic and fishery sciences, will receive the 2016 International Fisheries Science Prize this week at the World Fisheries Congress in Busan, South Korea.
