Wild Salmon Welfare and River Restoration

Wild Atlantic salmon face severe welfare challenges from dam barriers, warm rivers, sea lice from fish farms, and the extreme physiological stress of their spawning migration.

Key Facts

Atlantic salmon populations have declined by over 75% across their range since the 1970s, with some rivers having lost over 90% of runs.
Dams and weirs block salmon migration routes, preventing access to spawning grounds and trapping fish in sub-optimal conditions.
Sea lice from salmon farms near wild migration routes infect juvenile wild salmon with potentially fatal parasite burdens.
The spawning migration itself is a period of extreme physiological stress — salmon stop feeding and consume muscle mass to fuel migration.
River temperatures above 23°C are thermally stressful for salmon; climate warming is increasing the frequency of thermal stress events.

Welfare Considerations

Wild salmon welfare is intertwined with conservation — a declining population is a population in which individuals face mounting welfare challenges. Fish unable to pass dams experience frustration and exhaustion at barriers. Fish infected with sea lice from nearby farms suffer parasitism on their most vulnerable juvenile migration. Thermal stress in warming rivers causes physiological compromise and disorientation. River restoration — dam removal, temperature management, and sea lice reduction near farms — improves both conservation and individual welfare simultaneously.

What You Can Do

Support river restoration organisations working on dam removal and fish pass installation.
Advocate for regulatory controls on salmon farm siting near wild salmon migration routes.
Learn about the life cycle of wild salmon and the welfare challenges they face across each stage.
Donate to wild salmon conservation programmes monitoring and restoring river populations.