From salmon to sea birds to climate change fearmongering

[Irrelevant]

Something was killing baby salmon. Scientists traced it to a food-web mystery

Salmon fry in California are suffering from an apparent vitamin deficiency that is threatening fish and other wildlife worldwide. But what is the cause?

www.latimes.com

We are no where near understanding our world, the intricacies of the web of life. I have followed salmon populations and recovery as long as I've been able. My passion for salmon trumps my passion for about anything except my kids (and probably a few other friends and family), and I have been a firm believer for a long time that habitat is not the limiting factor in salmon declines, despite what many "experts" claim. There has to be more going on, this may be part of that more.

 

[devon deer]

Thanks for the link to the article, very interesting, never heard of that before.
But our Atlantic Salmon levels are dangerously low, I wonder if this is also a contributing factor.
We do so much to increase their chances of a recovery, but I fear it is too late for my local rivers.

 

[Irrelevant]

Thanks for the link to the article, very interesting, never heard of that before.
But our Atlantic Salmon levels are dangerously low, I wonder if this is also a contributing factor.
We do so much to increase their chances of a recovery, but I fear it is too late for my local rivers.

I fear all salmon are headed that way. Especially here in WA.

 

[Dougfirtree]

Thanks for the link to the article, very interesting, never heard of that before.
But our Atlantic Salmon levels are dangerously low, I wonder if this is also a contributing factor.
We do so much to increase their chances of a recovery, but I fear it is too late for my local rivers.

Yeah, it's been pretty well documented that environmental conditions in parts of the ocean, play a big part in the lower numbers of Atlantics here in the northeast (especially in the bay of Fundy). That said, there are some rivers in Maine that have been giving us cause for hope lately!
Interestingly, this issue identified in the article is one we've been worrying about for years where I live. Alewives got into Lake Champlain and have really taken off in the last 10 years. On one hand, they're supplying a ton of food and our local Atlantic salmon (lake run) are getting fat and happy. On the downside, biologists are worried that a transition from smelt to alewives might doom our own efforts to get wild reproduction happening, which have seen some signs of progress.

 

[Hydrophilic]

Very interesting. Looking forward to future studies.

I’ve spent a couple decades chasing steelhead and Trout up and down the west coast. It didn’t take me long to get into conservation.

I really enjoyed ‘Salmon without Rivers’ by Jim Lichatowich. Also, ‘King of Fish’ by David Montgomery. In general I subscribe to their 4 H’s. Habitat, Harvest, Hydro, and Hatchery. I list hatchery last because a properly run hatchery open to new techniques and science is needed, and attainable. 1) They can rebuild runs if utilized correctly. 2) they take pressure off native fish populations. The goal, though, should be to ween ourselves off hatcheries.

I do emphasize habitat quite a bit. Several instances of restoring access to spawning habitat via dam removal that have doubled, or tripled runs.

Here is neat project they did on the S Fork McKenzie. Only 2 redds observed over the last 40 years. After a habitat project restored side channel / flood plain habitat they observed 240+ redds in a single year.

After 42 Years, Chinook Salmon Return to the Mckenzie River - Flylords Mag

In the last 42 years, only 2 intact salmon redds were found in the Lower South Fork McKenzie River in Blue River, Oregon. Historically, the river hosted one of the healthiest Pacific salmon runs in the Northwest, but after the construction of Cougar Dam in the early 1960s, their numbers...

www.google.com

Really though, it’s death by 1000 cuts. If it’s all caused by a vitamin deficiency Im ok with that too! I just want the salmon back.