Will wild salmon soon be taken off the menu?

First, a few interesting salmon facts..

There are six primary species of salmon, including Chinook, Coho, Chum, Pink, Sockeye, and Steelhead.  They are considered anadromous fish, which means that they spend most of their lives in salt water and migrate upstream to native fresh water habitats, where they spawn.  From there, they immediately die after spawning (aka semi perilous), where they release foreign oceanic nutrients into the water.  The nutrients then provide nourishment for microorganisms and insects, which the newly hatched fry consume in order to continue the strenuous journey back to the ocean to complete the cycle. 

The fry rely on these vital nutrients because they don't eat for entire journey to the ocean, and solely rely on naturally stored oils.  Salmon also act as valuable food sources for surrounding wildlife, including birds, bears, and other scavengers.  Salmon are a keystone species, meaning that the surrounding wildlife rely on them for nourishment.

Salmon play a large role in history

Thousands of years ago Native American tribes heavily relied on Salmon as part of their culture. They were a primary source of food, commerce, and played a central role in many religious practices. Salmon were believed to be the icon of life, as they provided essential nourishment to the villages. The natives relied on them so much in fact, that they set up villages near waterways for easy access to spearing sites, and traveled very long distances in accordance with the traveling salmon populations!  

European settlers later migrated across the United States, and commercial fishing quickly progressed into a booming industry.  Since salmon migrate in high densities, they were easily caught in large numbers with nets, and dragged onto the riverbanks by horseback. The fish were then either sold, or preserved by canning, smoking, or jarring.  

So, whats the problem?

Salmon are a keystone species in many spawning habitats, and are still considered a large staple in the American diet.  Unfortunately, they are suffering substantial population declines as a result of many complex factors, both natural and human induced.  Specifically, Atlantic salmon on the east coast are in dire decline.  It is estimated that fewer than half of the suitable salmon run rivers have enough wild Atlantic salmon to ensure survival!  Many suitable salmon rivers on both east and west coasts, however, have experienced detrimental impacts from society.

Big ticket factors

Since salmon live in the ocean and migrate long distances in fresh water, it is difficult target many of the influential factors of population decline.  There are, however, many known contributing factors that have been well documented.  

• Water pollution is a very serious problem that severely impacts a large variety of species, both terrestrial and aquatic.  Many crop pesticides leach into water sources and poison native species, which may cause changes in biological behavior, reproductive difficulties, and even death in extreme cases.  Other sources of pollution include waste treatment plants, fertilizers, acid rain, non biodegradable detergents, factories, and refineries.

• Dams are used for water storage, hydroelectric power, agriculture, and flood control.  They are dispersed in most rivers throughout the United States, and are one of the primary causes to salmon population declines.  Dams block passages that are essential for salmon to reach breeding habitats, and cause increased mortality rates for juvenile fish that are on the journey back to the ocean.  All types also create sedimentary buildup, and hydroelectric dams contain water turbines that are fatal for both juvenile and adult salmon.  

• Old logging routes wreaked havoc on river structure and contributed to habitat loss.  Logging routes also produce pollutant runoff into streams and rivers.

• Climate change can alter water temperatures, which may impact "usual" salmon habitat. Salmon require cold water to survive, and warmer water increases transmission of various diseases among salmon populations.

• Recreation, commercial fishing, and natural predation contribute to over harvesting.

• Fish hatcheries genetically alter wild populations due to interbreeding of farm-raised salmon with wild salmon.

• Habitat loss and degradation is caused by a variety of sources, and is possibly the largest contributor to loss of species.

Management opportunity

Conservation and management has been on the rise in the last couple decades, and there have been more efforts towards salmon population recovery.  Fish ladders have been added to most dams, which are man made pools designed to provide salmon and other anadromous fish passage over or through the dam.  There are several different types of fish ladders that provide consecutive elevated pools for the fish to jump over.  They can be problematic, however, since they have controversial success rates.  Fish ladders are relatively successful for salmon populations (for which they were designed), although they still require extra energy from the fish pass.  Energy is a very valuable resource for these long journeys upriver, so the extra expenditure may decrease the likelihood of the fish successfully completing the journey, especially if there are several dams they must cross over.  Removal of abandoned dams would be another useful option, although the monetary cost of removal causes political turbulence.

Many dangerous pesticides have been made illegal due to their negative environmental impacts. Regulations are also being implemented to protect rivers, similar to protected land, so salmon may have an easier road to recovery.  Fishing regulations are also very strictly enforced, and limitations on the size and quantity are being reduced.

What can you do?

We may not be able to undo all the damage that we have done in the past, but the future of salmon recovery can prove fruitful.  Urging politicians to invest in dam removal and other salmon management plans is critical for the future of wild salmon species.

Salmon are keystone species that prove to be invaluable assets to the ecosystem, and they also provide a healthy contribution to the American diet.  If we can successfully rebound salmon populations, then we can continue to keep them on our menu, along with promoting a healthy ecosystem!