Wild Salmon Pacific Conservation

Pacific salmon populations face multiple stressors from dams to ocean conditions that affect millions of individual fish welfare.

Key Facts

Pacific salmon spawn once and die — their entire life is oriented toward a single reproductive event
Multiple dam systems block salmon migration, preventing spawning and causing population collapse
Hatchery supplementation maintains some populations but reduces genetic diversity
Climate warming is shifting the timing and viability of salmon runs across their range

Welfare Considerations

Pacific salmon migrating through degraded habitat experience cumulative welfare harm — thermal stress in warm rivers, exhaustion at blocked passages, disease exposure in crowded fish ladders and physiological compromise from impaired migration. Salmon that fail to complete spawning migrations die after exhausting themselves without reproductive success. Dam removal has demonstrated that restoring migration access dramatically improves both individual welfare and population viability.

What You Can Do

Support dam removal campaigns for rivers with Pacific salmon runs
Advocate for minimum flow requirements during salmon migration periods
Choose wild-caught Pacific salmon certified to sustainable harvest standards
Donate to salmon habitat restoration programs