Why+we+need+salmon?

Wild Pacific salmon is is part our food, culture, and economy. In addition, salmon a considered a keystone species which means that many other types of plants and animals depend on them. If wild salmon become extinct it will have disastrous effects on the Pacific ecosystem. Today, wild salmon are considered one of healthiest protein sources you can eat combining natural omega-3 oils and high protein. First Nations groups from the coast to far inland depend on salmon for both culture and food. In fact, some sockeye and chinook runs that enter the Fraser River and swim over a thousand kilometers inland and spawn past Prince George feed numerous First Nations communities along the way. Economically, British Columbians sports fish and commercial fish for wild salmon. Sports fishing means that we do it for fun and usually use a rod and reel. Many sports fishers now release significant amounts of the salmon they catch, voluntarily choosing to only take a few home to eat. In fact, in many areas of B.C., sports fisher can only "keep" hatchery-born coho salmon (see page on Hatchery, Wild, Farmed...what's the difference?) all other must be released. Studies show that properly released salmon ( i.e. wet hands and keeping the fish in water as much as possible) results in extremely high survival rates. Commerical fishing means that the person fishes for a living. There are three main type of methods for commercial fishing for salmon - trolling, gill-netting, and seining. Since, modern technology has advanced, commercial fishers have become extremely effective at catching salmon has needed to be heavily regulated. As a result, the fleet, which once numbered in thousands and operated from the Nass River mouth to the Fraser River mouth has been reduced greatly. Both sports and commercial fishing is extremely important to the British Columbia economy as sport fishing generates about $500, 000, 000 each year and employs over 10, 00 people directly. These are shop owner, guides, equipment builders etc. Commercial fishing generates about $140 000 000 each year. Not bad for a resource that comes back every year if we take care of it. Ecologically, salmon serve as food for animals for trout to bears. Whole pods of orcas follow salmon schools up and down Johnstone Strait. Perhaps the most interesting is the work done for Dr. Reimchen of the University of Victoria, who has found that trees, shrubs, and mosses get significant amounts amount of nutrients from salmon bodies carried into the forests by bears. (http://web.uvic.ca/~reimlab/salmonforest.html).
 * Why We Need Wild Salmon?**

A wild chinook (caught and released to continue its life-cycle)



A delicious looking plate of wild sockeye sushi from a downtown Vancouver restaurant



Eggs hatching into Alevins



home