Wild Salmon Welfare: Migration, Predation, and Parasites

Wild Atlantic and Pacific salmon face welfare challenges during their extraordinary migrations including exhaustion, injury, parasitism, and mortality.

Key Facts

Atlantic salmon migrate thousands of miles between feeding and spawning grounds
Pacific salmon die after spawning, providing nutrients to river ecosystems
Sea lice from fish farms infect wild juvenile salmon during migration
Dams block migration routes and force fish to use exhausting ladder systems
Wild salmon populations have declined by over 70% in many rivers since the 1970s

Welfare Considerations

Wild salmon face multiple welfare challenges during their life cycle. The spawning migration involves extraordinary physical demands causing tissue breakdown and immune suppression in Pacific species that die after spawning. Atlantic salmon attempting to return to the sea face further challenges. Sea lice from aquaculture farms on migration routes infest juvenile wild salmon, causing skin damage and mortality. Dam systems force fish through artificial ladder structures that may be impassable during high flows. Each barrier adds cumulative physical and energetic welfare costs.

What You Can Do

Support river restoration programs including dam removal where salmon migration is blocked
Advocate for aquaculture siting regulations that protect wild salmon migration routes
Choose wild-caught salmon from well-managed fisheries with low bycatch
Support riparian habitat restoration that improves wild salmon habitat and food availability