Wild Salmon Welfare and Commercial Fishing

Wild Pacific and Atlantic salmon face welfare impacts from commercial fishing methods, bycatch, and increasingly from climate-altered river conditions.

Key Facts

Pacific salmon populations have declined sharply due to overfishing and habitat loss
Common capture methods including purse seining cause hypoxia and crushing injuries
Bycatch of non-target salmon species is a significant welfare problem
Salmon are highly migratory with strong homing instincts requiring intact river systems
Climate change is altering river temperatures beyond salmon thermal tolerance

Welfare Considerations

Wild salmon welfare sits at the intersection of conservation and animal welfare ethics. Commercial fishing methods cause significant pain and suffering through crowding, oxygen depletion, and physical injury during capture. For salmon that escape capture, warming rivers, blocked migration routes from dams, and degraded spawning habitat create chronic stress and physiological suffering. Welfare improvements for wild salmon require both improved fishing practices and major habitat and climate action.

What You Can Do

Choose salmon certified by organizations that include sustainability and welfare criteria
Support dam removal projects that restore salmon migration routes
Advocate for fishing method reforms that minimize suffering during capture
Reduce carbon emissions to protect the cold-water habitat salmon depend on