Citation:

Lackey, R T. WILD SALMON RESTORATION: IS IT WORTH IT? Presented at Seminar at Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR, October 29, 2003.

Description:

Salmon are categorized biologically into two groups: Pacific salmon and Atlantic salmon. Atlantic salmon are found on both sides of the North Atlantic Ocean, but have declined precipitously compared to the size of runs prior to the 1700s. The largest (though small by historic standards) remaining runs occur in the rivers along the Atlantic coasts of northern Canada and northern Scandinavia; however, the worldwide number of Atlantic salmon is large, perhaps even larger than at any time in history, because massive numbers of Atlantic salmon are raised in aquacultural facilities. Similarly, all seven species of Pacific salmon on both the North American and Asian sides of the North Pacific Ocean have declined substantially from historic levels. Large runs still occur in northern British Columbia, Yukon, Alaska, and the Far East of Russia. Hatchery production and release of Pacific salmon has been used to maintain some runs in the southern region of the range (e.g., Japan, Korea, California, Oregon, and Washington). In California, Oregon, Washington, Idaho, and southern British Columbia, runs have been depleted by loss of spawning and rearing habitat, a history of over-fishing, dam construction and operation, water diversion for irrigation and industrial cooling, competition with hatchery-produced salmon, competition with various non-indigenous fish species, predation by marine mammals and birds, and climatic and oceanic shifts. Runs in the northern half of the range (e.g., Russian Far East, Alaska, Yukon, and northern British Columbia) are in better condition, a situation likely to continue for the foreseeable future. The northern runs have been relatively large since the mid 1970s, but will likely decline somewhat during the next several decades because ocean conditions in the North Pacific tend to shift on a several-decade time cycle. Southern runs should be relatively better (though low by historic standards) for the next several decades, but are likely to decline again when ocean conditions shift. In the western region of the contiguous United States, billions of dollars have been spent in a so-far failed attempt to reverse the long-term decline of wild Pacific salmon. Each year, hundreds of millions of dollars continue to be spent in various restoration programs. How can nearly everyone be in favor of restoring wild salmon, yet the long-term prognosis appears to be so grim? Fisheries biologists can help craft restoration plans, but they are unable to offer any easy, painless approaches that will actually restore wild salmon runs. Restoring most wild salmon runs in the Pacific Northwest to anything resembling historic levels will be arduous and will entail substantial economic costs and social disruption. Of the Earth's four regions (i.e., Asian Far East, Atlantic Europe, eastern North America, and western North America) where salmon runs occurred originally, it appears probable that western North America will emulate the other three: extirpated or much reduced runs in the southern half of the range; runs closer to historic levels in the northern half of the range (British Columbia northward).

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