Wildlife Welfare

Wild Salmon Migration Barriers and Welfare

Dams and other river barriers fragment wild salmon migration routes, causing welfare impacts and threatening population survival.

Key Facts

Atlantic and Pacific salmon require free passage between ocean and freshwater spawning grounds
An estimated 1 million dams exist globally, many blocking historic salmon migration routes
Fish passes and ladders reduce but do not eliminate the barrier effect of dams
Dam removal has resulted in dramatic recovery of salmon populations in restored rivers
Salmon unable to access spawning grounds cannot reproduce, threatening population survival

Welfare Considerations

River barriers cause suffering and reproductive failure for individual salmon while threatening the ecological integrity of entire watersheds. Dam removal and improved fish passage design represent some of the highest-impact interventions for wild salmon welfare.

What You Can Do

Support river restoration organizations working on dam removal and fish passes
Advocate for fish passage requirements in dam licensing and renewal processes
Choose sustainably certified salmon from regions with healthy migration routes