Saving the salmon
SALMON populations in the Pacific northwest are likely to take a beating unless fishery managers adopt a fresh approach to the problem.
A report brought out by a committee of the National Research Council highlights Several threats to the salmon population in the pacific northwest and proposes some measures. The crisis predominantly stems from the fact that migrations have been marred by soil erosion, rising water tem tempratures and contaminated water. Dams have contributed their bit to make matters worse by changing the timing of water flows and reversing flow velocities, water chemistry and temperatures.
The cumulative effects have hurt salmon population that travel inland the furthest more than those that remain near the coast. The committee had its own set of recommendations for hatcheries and that they should change their focus from limiting the numbers to Ing the number of fish left to return to spawn. Fishery managers Are advised to cooperate with their British Columbian and Alaskan counterparts because that was where most Pacific northwestern salmon ended up.