Dams block migratory routes for salmon, eels, and dozens of other species, causing physical injury from turbines, exhaustion from barrier navigation, and population collapse.
Migratory fish approaching dams face exhaustion from futile barrier navigation, injury from concrete structures, and mortality from turbine strike. Salmon that cannot complete spawning migrations die without reproducing, representing both welfare and conservation loss. Even fish that successfully navigate ladders experience significant stress and energy depletion.