Aquatic Animals

Wild Salmon Welfare and River Restoration

Wild salmon face welfare threats throughout their lifecycle from warming rivers, dam barriers, disease, and predation pressure. River restoration dramatically improves conditions for wild populations.

Key Facts

Wild salmon populations have declined by 50% or more in many river systems since the 1970s
Warming rivers reduce oxygen and increase disease susceptibility in salmon
Fish ladders at dams allow passage but are often inefficient for large proportions of fish
Dam removal has led to dramatic salmon population recovery in restored rivers
Sea lice from fish farms can devastate wild salmon smolts passing through farm areas

Welfare Considerations

Wild salmon undertaking their spawning migrations face gauntlets of stressors including warm low-oxygen water, predation, disease, and physical barriers. Fish attempting to pass inefficient fish ladders repeatedly exhaust themselves. Dam removal — where feasible — has produced some of the most dramatic wildlife recovery outcomes documented, suggesting that habitat restoration is among the most impactful interventions for wild fish welfare and conservation.

What You Can Do

Support river restoration organizations working on dam removal and passage improvement
Oppose salmon fish farms in wild salmon migration corridors
Advocate for riparian buffer zones that shade and cool rivers
Reduce consumption of wild-caught Pacific salmon from declining populations
Donate to river restoration and salmon recovery programs