CONVENTION FOR THE CONSERVATION OF SALMON IN THE NORTH  
ATLANTIC OCEAN 

Reykjavik, 2 March 1982 


The Parties to this Convention, 

Recognizing that salmon originating in the rivers of different  
States intermingle in certain parts of the North Atlantic Ocean, 

Taking into account international law, the provisions on  
anadromous stocks of fish in the Draft Convention of the Third  
United Nations Conference on the Law of the Sea and other  
developments in international fora relating to anadromous stocks, 

Desiring to promote the acquisition, analysis and dissemination  
of scientific information pertaining to salmon stocks in the North  
Atlantic Ocean, 

Desiring to promote the conservation, restoration, enhancement  
and rational management of salmon stocks in the North Atlantic  
Ocean through international co-operation, 

Have agreed as follows: 


Article 1 

1. This Convention applies to the salmon stocks which migrate  
beyond areas of fisheries jurisdiction of coastal States of the  
Atlantic Ocean north of 36 deg N latitude throughout their  
migratory range. 

2. Nothing in this Convention shall affect the rights, claims or  
views of any Party with regard to the limits or extent of  
jurisdiction over fisheries, nor shall it prejudice the views or  
positions of any Party with respect to the law of the sea. 


Article 2 

1. Fishing of salmon is prohibited beyond areas of fisheries  
jurisdiction of coastal States. 

2. Within areas of fisheries jurisdiction of coastal States,  
fishing of salmon is prohibited beyond 12 nautical miles from the  
baselines from which the breadth of the territorial sea is  
measured, except in the following areas: 

(a) in the West Greenland Commission area, up to 40 nautical miles  
from the baselines; and 

(b) in the North-East Atlantic Commission area, within the area of  
fisheries jurisdiction of the Faroe Islands. 

3. The Parties shall invite the attention of any State not a Party  
to this Convention to any matter relating to the activities of the  
vessels of that State which appears to affect adversely the  
conservation, restoration, enhancement or rational management of  
salmon stocks subject to this Convention or the implementation of  
the Convention. 


Article 3 

1. There is hereby established an international organization that  
shall be known as the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation  
Organization, hereinafter referred to as the "Organization". 

2. The objective of the Organization shall be to contribute  
through consultation and co-operation to the conservation,  
restoration, enhancement and rational management of salmon stocks  
subject to this Convention, taking into account the best  
scientific evidence available to it. 

3. The Organization shall consist of: 

(a) a Council; 

(b) three regional Commissions: 

 a North American Commission,  
 a West Greenland Commission, and  
 a North-East Atlantic Commission; 

(c) a Secretary. 

4. The areas of the Commissions shall be as follows: 

(a) North American Commission: maritime waters within areas of  
fisheries jurisdiction of coastal States off the east coast of  
North America; 

(b) West Greenland Commission: maritime waters within the area of  
fisheries jurisdiction off the coast of West Greenland west of a  
line drawn along 44 deg W longitude south to 59 deg N latitude,  
thence due east to 42 deg W longitude and thence due south; and 

(c) North-East Atlantic Commission: maritime waters east of the  
line referred to in subparagraph (b). 

5. The Organization shall have legal personality and shall enjoy  
in the territories of the Parties and in its relations with other  
international organizations such legal capacity as may be  
necessary to perform its functions and achieve its ends. The  
immunities and privileges which the Organization, its officers and  
staff and representatives of the Parties shall enjoy in the  
territory of a State shall be subject to agreement between the  
Organization and the State concerned. 

6. The official languages of the Organization shall be English and  
French. 

7. The office of the Organization shall be at Edinburgh or at such  
other place as the Council may decide. 


Article 4 

1. The functions of the Council shall be: 

(a) to provide a forum for the study, analysis and exchange of  
information among the Parties on matters concerning the salmon  
stocks subject to this Convention, and on the achievement of the  
objective of the Convention; 

(b) to provide a forum for consultation and cooperation on matters  
concerning the salmon stocks in the North Atlantic Ocean beyond  
Commission areas; 

(c) to facilitate the co-ordination of the activities of the  
Commissions and to co-ordinate the initiatives of the Parties  
under article 2, paragraph 3; 

(d) to establish working arrangements with the International  
Council for the Exploration of the Sea and other appropriate  
fisheries and scientific organizations; 

(e) to make recommendations to the Parties, the International  
Council for the Exploration of the Sea or other appropriate  
fisheries and scientific organizations concerning the undertaking  
of scientific research; 

(f) to supervise and co-ordinate the administrative, financial and  
other internal affairs of the Organization, including the  
relations among its constituent bodies; 

(g) to co-ordinate the external relations of the Organization; and 

(h) to perform such other functions as are conferred on it by this  
Convention. 

2. The Council shall have the authority to make recommendations to  
the Parties and the Commissions on matters concerning salmon  
stocks subject to this Convention, including the enforcement of  
laws and regulations, provided that no recommendation shall be  
made concerning the management of salmon harvests within the area  
of fisheries jurisdiction of a Party. 

3. Notwithstanding paragraph 2, upon the specific request of a  
Commission, the Council shall have the authority to make  
recommendations to that Commission on regulatory measures which  
the Commission may propose pursuant to this Convention. 


Article 5 

1. Each Party shall be a member of the Council and may appoint to  
the Council not more than three representatives who may be  
accompanied at its meetings by experts and advisers. 

2. The Council shall elect a President and Vice-President who  
shall serve for two years. They shall be eligible for re-election,  
provided that they do not serve for more than four years in  
succession in each office. The President and Vice-President shall  
not be representatives of the same Party. 

3. The President of the Council shall be the principal  
representative of the Organization. 

4. The President shall convene a regular annual meeting of the  
Council and the Commissions at a time and place determined by the  
Council. 

5. Upon the request of a Party with the concurrence of another  
Party the President shall call meetings of the Council other than  
annual meetings at such time and place as the President may  
determine. 

6. The Council shall submit to the Parties an annual report of the  
activities of the Organization. 


Article 6 

1. The Council shall adopt its rules of procedure. 

2. Each member of the Council shall have one vote in its  
proceedings. 

3. Except where otherwise provided, decisions of the Council shall  
be taken by a three-quarters majority of the votes of the members  
present and casting an affirmative or negative vote. No vote shall  
be taken unless two thirds of the members are present. 


Article 7 

1. The functions of the North American Commission with regard to  
its area shall be: 

(a) to provide a forum for consultation and cooperation between  
the members: 

(i) on matters related to minimizing catches in the area of  
fisheries jurisdiction of one member of salmon originating in the  
rivers of another Party, 
(ii) in cases where activities undertaken or proposed by one  
member affect salmon originating in the rivers of the other member  
because, for example, of biological interactions; 

(b) to propose regulatory measures for salmon fisheries under the  
jurisdiction of a member which harvest amounts of salmon  
significant to the other member in whose rivers that salmon  
originates, in order to minimize such harvests; 

(c) to propose, regulatory measures for salmon fisheries under the  
jurisdiction of a member which harvest amounts of salmon  
significant to another Party in whose rivers that salmon  
originates; and 

(d) to make recommendations to the Council concerning the  
undertaking of scientific research. 

2. Each member shall, with respect to its vessels and the area  
under its fisheries jurisdiction, take the measures necessary to  
minimize by-catches of salmon originating in the rivers of the  
other member. 

3. Fishing patterns in salmon fisheries in the North American  
Commission area shall not be altered in a manner which results in  
the initiating of fishing or increase in catches of salmon  
originating in the rivers of another Party, except with the  
consent of the latter. 


Article 8 

The functions of the West Greenland Commission and the North-East  
Atlantic Commission with regard to their respective areas shall  
be: 

(a) to provide a forum for consultation and cooperation among the  
members concerning the conservation, restoration, enhancement and  
rational management of salmon stocks subject to this Convention, 

(b) to propose regulatory measures for fishing in the area of  
fisheries jurisdiction of a member of salmon originating in the  
rivers of other Parties; and 

(c) to make recommendations to the Council concerning the  
undertaking of scientific research. 


Article 9 

In exercising the functions set out in articles 7 and 8, a  
Commission shall take into account: 

(a) the best available information, including advice from the  
International Council for the Exploration of the Sea and other  
appropriate scientific organizations; 

(b) measures taken and other factors, both inside and outside the  
Commission area, that affect the salmon stocks concerned; 

(c) the efforts of States of origin to implement and enforce  
measures for the conservation, restoration 
enhancement and rational management of salmon stocks in their  
rivers and areas of fisheries jurisdiction, including measures  
referred to in article 15, paragraph 5 (b); 

(d) the extent to which the salmon stocks concerned feed in the  
areas of fisheries jurisdiction of the respective Parties; 

(e) the relative effects of harvesting salmon at different stages  
of their migration routes; 

(f) the contribution of Parties other than States of origin to the  
conservation of salmon stocks which migrate into their areas of  
fisheries jurisdiction by limiting their catches of such stocks or  
by other measures; and 

(g) the interests of communities which are particularly dependent  
on salmon fisheries. 


Article 10 

1. The Parties shall be members of the Commissions as follows: 

(a) North American Commission: Canada and the United States of  
America; 

(b) West Greenland Commission: Canada, the European Economic  
Community and the United States of America; 

(c) North-East Atlantic Commission: Denmark in respect of the  
Faroe Islands, the European Economic Community, Iceland, Norway  
and Sweden. 

2. At its first meeting the Council shall review and may by  
unanimous vote modify the membership of the West Greenland  
Commission. 

3. A Party not mentioned in paragraph 1 (b) may, at the request  
and upon the unanimous decision of the Council, become a member of  
the West Greenland Commission or the North-East Atlantic  
Commission if it is a State of origin for significant quantities  
of salmon occurring in the respective Commission area or if it  
exercises fisheries jurisdiction in that area. 

4. Parties may participate as observers in the deliberations of a  
Commission of which they are not members. 

5. Each member may appoint to a Commission not more than three  
representatives who may be accompanied at its meetings by experts  
and advisers. 

6. Each Commission shall elect a Chairman and Vice-Chairman who  
shall serve for two years. They shall be eligible for re-election,  
provided that they not serve for more than four years in  
succession in each office. The Chairman and Vice-Chairman shall  
not be representatives of the same member. 

7. Upon the request of a member of a Commission with the  
concurrence of another member the Chairman shall call meetings of  
the Commission other than annual meetings at such time and place  
as the Chairman may determine. 

8. Each Commission shall, on a timely basis, make a report of its  
activities to the Council. 


Article 11 

1. Each Commission shall adopt its rules of procedure. 

2. Each member of a Commission shall have one vote in its  
proceedings. In addition, in the case of the North American  
Commission, the European Economic Community shall have the right  
to submit and vote on proposals for regulatory measures concerning  
salmon stocks originating in the territories referred to in  
article 18. In the case of the North-East Atlantic Commission,  
Canada and the United States of America shall each have the right  
to submit and vote on proposals for regulatory measures concerning  
salmon stocks originating in the rivers of Canada or the United  
States of America, respectively, and occurring off East Greenland. 

3. Decisions of a Commission shall be taken by the unanimous vote  
of those present and casting an affirmative or negative vote. No  
vote shall be taken unless two thirds of those entitled to vote on  
the matter concerned are present. 


Article 12 

1. The Council shall appoint a Secretary, who shall be the chief  
administrative officer of the Organization. 

2. The functions of the Secretary shall be: 

(a) to provide administrative services to the Organization; 

(b) to compile and disseminate statistics and reports concerning  
the salmon stocks subject to this Convention; and 

(c) to perform such functions as follow from other provisions of  
this Convention or as the Council may determine. 

3. The Council shall determine the conditions of employment of the  
Secretary and staff. 

4. The Secretary shall appoint the staff in accordance with  
staffing requirements approved by the Council. The staff shall be  
responsible to the Secretary, subject to the general supervision  
of the Council. 


Article 13 

1. The Secretary shall, without undue delay, notify the members of  
a Commission of any regulatory measure proposed by that  
Commission. 

2. Subject to paragraph 3, a regulatory measure proposed by a  
Commission under article 7, paragraph 1 (b) or (c), or article 8,  
sub-paragraph (b), shall become binding on its members 60 days  
after the date specified in the Secretary's notification or, if a  
later date is determined by the Commission, on such date. 

3. Any member in whose areas of fisheries jurisdiction a  
regulatory measure would apply may, within 60 days of the date  
specified in the Secretary's notification, lodge an objection to  
it. In this case the regulatory measure shall not become binding  
on any member. A member which has lodged an objection may at any  
time withdraw it. Thirty days after all objections are withdrawn  
the regulatory measure shall become binding, subject to paragraph  
2. 

4. After the expiration of one year from the date on which a  
regulatory measure becomes binding, any member in whose area of  
fisheries jurisdiction the regulatory measure applies may denounce  
it by written notice to the Secretary. The Secretary shall  
immediately inform the other members of such denunciation. The  
regulatory measure shall cease to be binding on all members 60  
days after the date of receipt by the Secretary of the notice of  
denunciation or, if a later date is indicated by the member, on  
such date. 

5. A Commission may propose an emergency regulatory measure having  
effect prior to the expiration of the 60-day period referred to in  
paragraph 2. The members shall make best efforts to implement the  
measure, unless there is an objection by a member within 30 days  
after the Commission has proposed it. 


Article 14 

1. Each Party shall ensure that such action is taken, including  
the imposition of adequate penalties for violation, as may be  
necessary to make effective the provisions of this Convention and  
to implement regulatory measures which become binding on it under  
article 13. 

2. Each Party shall transmit to the Council an annual statement of  
the actions taken pursuant to paragraph 1. Such statement shall be  
sent to the Secretary not later than 60 days before the annual  
meeting of the Council. 


Article 15 

1. Each Party shall provide to the Council available catch  
statistics for salmon stocks subject to this Convention taken in  
its rivers and area of fisheries jurisdiction at such intervals as  
the Council may determine. 

2. Each Party shall compile and provide to the Council such other  
statistics for salmon stocks subject to this Convention in its  
rivers and area of fisheries jurisdiction as required by the  
Council. The Council shall decide by unanimous vote the scope and  
form of such statistics and the intervals at which they shall be  
provided. 

3. Each Party shall provide the Council with any other available  
scientific and statistical information which it requires for the  
purposes of this Convention. 

4. Upon the request of the Council each Party shall provide to the  
Council copies of laws, regulations and programmes in force or,  
where appropriate, summaries thereof, relating to the  
conservation, restoration, enhancement and rational management of  
salmon stocks subject to this Convention in its rivers and area of  
fisheries jurisdiction. 

5. Each year each Party shall notify the Council of: 

(a) the adoption or repeal since its last notification of laws,  
regulations and programmes relating to the conservation,  
restoration, enhancement and rational management of salmon stocks  
subject to this Convention in its rivers and area of fisheries  
jurisdiction; 

(b) any commitments by the responsible authorities concerning the  
adoption or maintenance in force for specified periods of time  
within its territory or area of fisheries jurisdiction of measures  
relating to the conservation, restoration, enhancement and  
rational management of salmon stocks subject to this Convention;  
and 

(c) factors within its territory and area of fisheries  
jurisdiction which may significantly affect the abundance of  
salmon stocks subject to this Convention. 

6. The notifications referred to in paragraph 5 (a) shall be sent  
to the Secretary not later than 60 days before the annual meeting  
of the Council. The notifications referred to in paragraph 5 (b)  
and (c) shall be sent to the Secretary as soon as practicable. 


Article 16 

1. The Council shall adopt an annual budget for the Organization.  
The Secretary shall transmit a draft budget to the Parties,  
together with a schedule of contributions, not later than 60 days  
before the meeting of the Council at which the budget is to be  
considered. 

2. The Council shall determine the annual contribution of each  
Party according to the following formula: 

(a) 30% of the budget shall be divided equally among the Parties:  
and 

(b) 70% of the budget shall be divided among the Parties in  
proportion to their nominal catches of salmon subject to this  
Convention in the calendar year ending not more than 18 months and  
not less than 6 months before the beginning of the financial year. 

3. The Secretary shall notify each Party of its contribution.  
Contributions shall be paid not later than four months after the  
date of such notification. 

4. Contributions shall be payable in the currency of the State in  
which the office of the Organization is located, unless the  
Council decides otherwise. 

5. The contribution of a Party for which this Convention has  
entered into force during the course of a financial year shall for  
that year be a part of the annual contribution proportional to the  
number of complete months remaining in the year from the date of  
entry into force for that Party. 

6. A Party which has not paid its contributions for two  
consecutive years shall not he entitled to vote under this  
Convention until it has fulfilled its obligations, unless the  
Council decides otherwise. 

7. The financial affairs of the Organization shall be audited  
annually by external auditors to be selected by the Council. 


Article 17 

1. This Convention shall be open for signature at Reykjavik from 2  
March to 31 August 1982 by Canada, Denmark in respect of the Faroe  
Islands, the European Economic Community, Iceland, Norway, Sweden  
and the United States of America. 

2. This Convention shall be subject to ratification or approval. 

3. This Convention shall be open for accession by the parties  
referred to in paragraph 1 and, subject to the approval of the  
Council, by any other State that exercises fisheries jurisdiction  
in the North Atlantic Ocean or is a State of origin for salmon  
stocks subject to this Convention. 

4. Instruments of ratification, approval or accession shall be  
deposited with the Depositary. 

5. This Convention shall enter into force on the first day o