Strategic Plan
ASF’s previous Strategic Plan was scheduled to guide the organization through to the year 2023. In 2022, ASF Management and staff undertook a process to update the Plan based on lessons learned Kuring the previous Plan, with the philosophy of constant improvement. An updated Plan was presented to the joint ASF Boards of Directors in April 2023, and received unanimous support.
Structure of Plan
The updated Plan, slated for completion by 2030, includes individual projects slated for completion, to collectively reach our overall Goal. These projects will be the focus of ASF’s work over the coming years, and continue our approach of “stretching” and challenging the organization to achieve and measure success based on two predominant criteria:
- Where there is the greatest positive impact for wild Atlantic salmon, and
- Where ASF staff understand we have the most opportunity for meaningful progress.
Foundational Projects, Innovation, and Transformation
This updated strategic plan does not include core activities such as administration, planning, supervision, or internal communications, but nonetheless is crucial to healthy organizational functioning.
“Foundational” projects are those included in the Strategic Plan that are ongoing with established methods of delivery, for instance our longitudinal salmon tracking and monitoring projects like smolt tracking as well as the Greenland Conservation Agreement. “Innovative” projects use new methods and approaches to achieve objectives, while “transformational” projects are designed to achieve significant and lasting change.
Goal:
Be The Global Leader in Wild Atlantic Salmon Conservation and Applied Research
Conserve and Restore Wild Salmon
+Aquaculture
+Supporting alternative aquaculture
Supporting alternative aquaculture
Growing salmon in ways that minimize harm to wild fish and the environment is a booming new industry. ASF will share knowledge about the best alternatives to sea cages and help consumers find more sustainable fish.
New Website
ASF launched a website in October of 2023 showcasing alternative aquaculture and highlighting some sustainable producers. Check it out at www.wildriverfriendly.com!
Stopping expansion
Stopping expansion
Salmon farming in the ocean is a high level threat to wild fish and the environment.
ASF and our partners are focused on preventing damage in new areas by opposing industry expansion throughout Eastern North America.
New Website
To raise public awareness , we’ve launched a multi-faceted campaign with the tagline: “When sea-cage salmon farms are being banned in B.C., why are they expanding in Atlantic Canada?”. Leveraging the federal government’s commitment to phase out open net-pen aquaculture in British Columbia, we’re highlighting the urgent need for similar action here in Atlantic Canada.
In early 2025, we launched seven billboards in St. John’s and Corner Brook, secured ½ page ads in The Telegram for four consecutive weeks, and rolled out a robust social media campaign with paid advertising to engage and mobilize supporters across the region.
Headwaters
+Restoring the Kennebec
Restoring the Kennebec
Full recovery of Atlantic salmon in Maine is not possible without removing dams on the Kennebec River.
ASF and our partners will continue to advocate for the removal of dams throughout the watershed through legal and regulatory channels.
Expanding to Canada
Expanding to Canada
Headwaters in Maine has resulted in whole ecosystem recoveries.
We will expand the program to Quebec and Atlantic Canada with the goal of completing one high-impact river restoration project in each province annually.
Reopening Maine rivers
Reopening Maine rivers
Since 2003, ASF and our partners have reconnected more than 2200 miles to river habitat to the sea so fish can return to healthy environments.
We will continue to open up high quality habitat for migratory fish by removing dams and other barriers to fish passage.
Wild Salmon Watersheds
+Expand to 12 watersheds by 2030
Expand to 12 watersheds by 2030
ASF is seeking new partners for the Wild Salmon Watersheds program.
Our goal is to include rivers from every region with self-sustaining wild salmon populations in Eastern Canada.
We currently have 4 watersheds in this program:
- Terra Nova (Newfoundland)
- Nepisiguit (New Brunswick)
- Margaree (Nova Scotia)
- Cheticamp (Nova Scotia)
Preliminary meetings have been held in Quebec, with the goal of adding a multi-partner watershed in the region by the end of 2025. We are also exploring opportunities to establish a new watershed in Labrador by the end of 2026.
Greenland
+Strengthen the Greenland Salmon Conservation Agreement
Strengthen the Greenland Salmon Conservation Agreement
In 2018, ASF and the North Atlantic Salmon Fund signed a 12-year agreement with Greenland commercial fishermen to limit their catch.
We will work to strenghten partnerships by honouring our commitments and investing in salmon research to increase our understanding of Atlantic salmon ecology off west Greenland.
Raise salmon awareness
Raise salmon awareness
Conservation takes people who care and ASF will work in Greenland to raise awareness of Atlantic salmon and their conservation status in North America and Europe.
In 2023 and 2024, the Atlantic Salmon Federation and the North Atlantic Salmon Fund (NASF) hosted a lottery in Greenland, where all licensed fishermen who submitted catch reports and included a scale sample and fin clip from at least one fish were eligible for a prize draw of 5,000 Danish krone to be awarded to five Greenland salmon fishers for their participation in a new citizen science project. Incentives like this are a practical way of encouraging people to follow through with mandatory catch reporting while also increasing our knowledge about salmon in Greenland waters.
Additionally, we have partnered with a Greenlandic social media influencer, @QsGreenland, to make informative posts about Atlantic salmon in Greenland.
Emerging Issues
+Publish expert reports of key topics
Publish expert reports of key topics
ASF advocacy relies on the best science and evidence. We will support these efforts by partnering with experts around the world to publish reports on important threats and opportunities.
Respond to development, invasive species, and fishery management issues
Respond to development, invasive species, and fishery management issues
Unexpected issues affecting Atlantic salmon arise constantly.
ASF will plan for the unexpected by committing time and resources to advocate for wild salmon and wild rivers in response to emerging threats.
Protect forests in salmon watersheds
+Protect forests in salmon watersheds
Protect forests in salmon watersheds
ASF is an established leader in global salmon research. To increase the volume and impact of our work, we will identify and cultivate partnerships with leading researchers to share the workload.
ASF will play a coordinating role by choosing projects, providing resources and guidance, and analyzing data.
Advance Salmon Science
+Restoring the Kennebec
+Accelerate high impact research
Accelerate high impact research
ASF is an established leader in global salmon research. To increase the volume and impact of our work, we will identify and cultivate partnerships with leading researchers to share the workload.
ASF will play a coordinating role by supporting project creation and delivery, providing resources and guidance, and analyzing data.
ASF is working with local and international collaborators to increase the pace and impact of our research around:
- Improving and consolidating our tracking and modelling projects
- Assessing watershed and salmon population climate resilience
- Increasing our monitoring through SCALES
Publish our results
+Publish our results
Publish our results
ASF has gathered valuable data on salmon migration and behaviour over decades of field work. We will dedicate time and resources to analysis, interpretation, and publication in respected scientific journals.
We are continuing to publish our research. See the Research page for a full list of publications.
Recent publications include:
- Briggs, M.A., Newman, C., Benton, J. R., Rey, D. M., Konrad, C. P., Ouellet, V., Torgerson, C. E., Gruhn, L., Fleming, B. J., Gazoorian, C. & Doctor, D. H. 2025. The characteristics of baseflow resilience across diverse ecohydrological terrains. Hydrological Processes. DOI: 10.1002/hyp.70101
- Ouellet, V., Fullerton, A., Beauchamp, D., Bellmore, R, Kaylor, M., Kiffney, P., Kelson, S., Liermann, M., Naman, S., Rosenfeld, J., Rossi, G., & White, S. 2024. Food for fish: challenges and opportunities for quantifying foodscapes in river networks. In press in Wires Water.
Monitoring and assessment
+Continue long-term salmon tracking program
Continue long-term salmon tracking program
Since 2003, ASF has tracked juvenile and adult salmon leaving four rivers that empty into the Gulf of St. Lawrence.
We will build on the longest-data series of salmon migration in the world by continuing this work, allowing ASF to understand how a changing environment is affecting wild Atlantic salmon.
We have tagged over 7100 fish with acoustic tags since 2003, with nearly 500 tagged in 2024.
Measure project effectiveness
+Measure project effectiveness
Measure project effectiveness
Measuring the results of habitat restoration and enhancement projects is key to continuous improvement. We will develop monitoring programs to guage the effectiveness of all our in-stream work done through Headwaters and Wild Salmon Watersheds.
Secure the Future of ASF
+Support and equip ASF staff
+Support and equip ASF staff
Support and equip ASF staff
ASF is the sum of its staff. We employ more than 40 people in Maine, Quebec, and Atlantic Canada. Ensuring they have the needed tools, support, and training is essential to success.
We have implemented new project management tools that are available to all employees, supported several professional development opportunities for staff, and have hired a Human Resources Manager.
Nurture and grow the ASF community
+Nurture and grow the ASF community
Nurture and grow the ASF community
ASF has thousands of members throughout North America and around the world. Through improved marketing and membership services we will diversify our group of ASF supporters and increase the number of people who are actively following and engaging in our work.
We have expanded collaborations and partnerships with organizations such as Orvis and Hooke, hosted and co-hosted engagement events in Maine and eastern Canada, launched a monthly donor program, expanded our participation in public events such as regional trade shows, and invested more in storytelling to reach new audiences.
Progress Reports
Check back here for regular updates!