Aquatic Animals

Wild Salmon Conservation and Climate Welfare

Atlantic salmon face compound threats from climate change, aquaculture impacts, and habitat degradation that affect both population viability and individual welfare.

Key Facts

Atlantic salmon populations have declined by over 70% since the 1970s
Climate change is warming rivers beyond salmon thermal tolerance thresholds
Sea surface temperatures affect marine survival of salmon during ocean phase
Interbreeding with escaped farmed salmon dilutes wild genetic adaptation
Some Scottish and Irish rivers have lost their salmon runs entirely

Welfare Considerations

Individual wild salmon experience welfare harm from elevated water temperatures causing heat stress and respiratory difficulty, from disease exposure, and from the energetic cost of migration through degraded habitat. Population declines reduce mate availability and spawning success. Climate action reducing river warming is the highest-impact welfare intervention for wild Atlantic salmon.

What You Can Do

Support climate action as a salmon welfare and conservation measure
Advocate for river temperature monitoring and reporting
Support riparian woodland restoration cooling rivers
Choose sustainably certified salmon to reduce pressure on wild populations
Donate to wild salmon conservation organisations