Issues In a Nutshell
The Return of the Salmon
The Unique Lifecycle of SalmonAfter mature salmon have lived a full long life (up to five years old, depending on the subspecies), they return to the stream or river where they were born in order to spawn. Spawning is how salmon reproduce. Male and female mates will swim up their native streambed in search of a good nesting sight. The female creates a nest in the gravel on the bottom of the stream by swishing her tail back and forth to create a safe little area up to 18 inches deep. She prefers a place in a riffle, where the fast-running water will provide an ample supply of oxygen for the eggs. The salmon’s nest is called a redd. The female releases its eggs into the redd, and then the male releases its milt over the eggs. The milt fertilizes the eggs.
After an incubation period, the eggs develop eyes, and then hatch into tiny little creatures called alevin. The alevin have a nutritious egg yolk sac attached to them which nourishes them as they mature. After a period of months, usually in May or June, they lose their egg sacks and emerge from the gravel as fry. The salmon are only about an inch long and are free swimming, making them easy prey for larger fish. They will eat and grow in their native stream for up to a year.
At this point they are called fingerlings and are about 4 inches long. They make their way to the open sea where they will spend up to 5 years growing into adult mature salmon before making their way back to their native stream or river to spawn and die.
And so the cycle begins again…
The Challenges Facing Salmon:
RISE OF AQUACULTURE - Salmon are farmed in large net cages in the water which are sometimes referred to as “floating feedlots.” Because diseases are widespread in these crowded conditions, antibiotics are added to the feed; but this does not stop diseases and parasites from being spread to wild salmon. Additionally, the waste products created in these feedlots are let loose right into the marine environment, disrupting the ecological balance where salmon and other species live. Salmon farming still requires lots of fishing to catch fish that will be turned into feed for the salmon. It takes almost 2½ pounds of wild fish such as mackerel and sardines to ‘grow’ one pound of farmed salmon. The feed fed to salmon is also often contaminated, and research suggests that farmed salmon contains high levels of PCBs and dioxins. Farmed salmon is dyed pink using chemicals, otherwise the flesh would be gray. When we eat farmed salmon, we eat the antibiotics, PCBs, dioxins, and dye along with the meat. Almost all commercial Atlantic salmon is now farmed.
DESTRUCTION OF SPAWNING HABITAT - The riverbed and streambed habitats that salmon need to spawn and mature are delicate ecosystems that have been severely impacted by the spread of urban and suburban development. Toxic chemicals and pesticides used by farming and industry also pollute freshwater sources and make them too poisonous for salmon to spawn in or for young salmon to survive in. Restoration of habitat for salmon to spawn in includes creek restoration and creating usable nesting areas, as well as eliminating the toxins that contaminate the watershed.
INABILITY TO RETURN TO NATIVE WATERSHED - The building of dams, the diversion of water from natural waterways into irrigation and other physical impacts on rivers and streams has had a devastating effect on the ability of salmon to make the journey to the open sea, and also to return to the place where they were born in order to spawn. Water diversions also kill young salmon when they are diverted along with the water into irrigation systems. Some natural waterways no longer drain to the ocean the way they have for thousands of years, completely impeding the salmon’s ability to return. Removal of dams, construction of fish ladders, and the repair of natural waterways all help salmon to find their way back to their spawning grounds.
OVER-FISHING - Wild salmon is both more nutritious and more ecologically sustainable than farmed salmon. Wild salmon fisheries are highly regulated to ensure that they are not over fished. If there are not enough mature salmon to return to their spawning grounds, the population of the species is threatened.
What you can do:
- Buy line-caught salmon from small-scale fisher men and women
- Eat only wild salmon until salmon farming becomes sustainable
- Help preserve salmon habitat by supporting small scale organic farmers
- Protect creeks where salmon habitat is being restored
- Urge your elected officials to enact laws protecting salmon populations and their habitats
- Support water policies that protect salmon’s ability to swim between ocean and creek