Wild salmon populations face habitat degradation, barriers to migration, and climate change threats affecting their ecological welfare.
Wild salmon welfare encompasses both individual fish welfare and the ecological health of entire river ecosystems. Salmon blocked from reaching spawning grounds by dams face exhaustion, stress, and reproductive failure. Those navigating degraded, warming rivers experience thermal stress, oxygen depletion, and increased disease. Dam removal programs have produced dramatic salmon recovery in rivers where barriers have been eliminated, demonstrating the power of habitat restoration.