Wild salmon populations are declining across their range due to multiple threats. Conservation programs addressing habitat, migration barriers, and water quality improve both population and individual welfare.
Wild salmon conservation addresses individual fish welfare alongside population viability. Salmon in degraded habitats — warm, low-flow rivers with poor spawning substrate and limited food — experience chronic physiological stress and reduced survival. Restoring river connectivity through dam removal is the most impactful single intervention for salmon recovery: the Penobscot River dam removals produced 2,000% increases in salmon migration within years. River restoration including riparian shading to reduce temperature, gravel addition for spawning, and woody debris placement for juvenile habitat improves the quality of life for individual salmon throughout their freshwater stages. Conservation investment that addresses multiple threats simultaneously produces the largest welfare and population benefits.