Dr. Michael Melnychuk

Michael Melnychuk is tasked with quantifying MSC program impacts and evaluating interrelationships between fisheries management, certification, and the sustainability status of marine populations.

This has involved stock status comparisons between stocks fished by and not fished by MSC fisheries, identifying factors associated with fisheries withdrawing from the MSC program, and comparing voluntary measures like MSC certification with government-mandated management measures in terms of how they each affect trends in stock status.

Previously, Michael worked as a Research Scientist at the University of Washington, where his research focused on identifying management strategies and tactics that lead to successful conservation outcomes for marine populations and positive socioeconomic outcomes for the fisheries they support. 

His doctoral research at the University of British Columbia focused on quantifying mortality patterns of juvenile migrating salmon with acoustic telemetry and mark-recapture models.