Wild salmon face extraordinary challenges from habitat degradation, fishing pressure, and climate change. Their welfare intersects with broader ecosystem health.
Salmon caught by commercial fishing methods experience significant suffering before death. Gill netting causes slow drowning and can trap and drown non-target animals. Dam barriers strand salmon in unsuitable habitat and prevent breeding migrations. Warming waters cause physiological stress during spawning runs. Farmed salmon escaping into wild populations introduce disease and genetic disruption.