SALMON RECOVERY IN THE TWENTY-FIRST CENTURY: BREACHING THE BASIC BARRIERS

• Main Author: R Lackey
• Format: Text
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2005
• Subjects: Pacific; Atlantic salmon
• Online Access: http://oaspub.epa.gov/eims/eimsapi.dispdetail?deid=62214

Protecting and restoring runs of wild Pacific salmon enjoys wide public support. Billions of dollars have been spent in a so-far failed attempt to reverse the long-term decline of wild salmon in the western contiguous United States. Of the Earth's four regions (i.e., Asian Far East, Atlantic Europe, eastern North America, and western North America) where either Pacific or Atlantic salmon runs occurred originally, it appears probable that western North America, without a dramatic change in the current, long-term trend, will emulate the other three: extirpated or much reduced runs in the southern portion of the distribution (the lower 48 states and southern British Columbia); runs closer to historical levels in the northern portion of the distribution (mid British Columbia northward). Since the beginning of the decline, there have been many specific causes and a plethora of obstacles remain that impede their recovery, but I propose three major barriers that must be breached if society wishes to keep wild salmon from becoming remnant populations by 2100: (1) salmon runs are already at very low levels compared to historical levels and thus recovery effort start with relatively few wild fish; (2) recovering wild salmon is only one of many priorities that society professes and society needs to make drastic changes in life styles if wild salmon have any chance at recovery; and (3) the human population trajectory for British Columbia, Washington, Oregon, and Idaho will have to change dramatically for any recovery effort for wild salmon to have much chance of success. There are salmon restoration options that are likely to be ecologically viable and appreciably less socially disruptive than current strategies, but these options also have more modest restoration objectives, use hatchery intervention, and/or involve creating protected areas.