The expedition is part of the International Year of the Salmon, a project launched by the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission and the North Atlantic Salmon Conservation Organization and other partners. The International Year of the Salmon project began in 2019 and will continue through 2022.
The 2019 expedition was the first in decades to study salmon on the high seas. The vessel carried 21 scientists from five Pacific Rim countries, Japan, Korea, Russia, the United states and Canada. Their voyage began in February, with the ship scheduled to visit 72 stations in the Gulf and returned to Vancouver on March 18. Researchers made multiple discoveries that are now helping fishery managers to be more effective stewards of Pacific salmon.
The $1.2 million project was jointly funded by government, industry, non-government organizations and private contributions.