Wild salmon have lived in the cold, pristine Pacific waters for thousands of years and have been an integral part of the Pacific Northwest's history, culture and economy for as long as humans have lived here. First Nations of BC have historically relied on salmon as a source of subsistence since their arrival in North America.

Five species of salmon are native to the North Pacific and each specie has a life cycle ranging in length from two to six or seven years. Pacific salmon are anadromous, born in fresh water, migrate downriver to the cold open waters of the Pacific Ocean, often traveling for thousands of kilometres, and then miraculously return to the river of their birth.

It's still a mystery exactly how salmon find their way home but they seem to rely on a combination of genetic coding, celestial navigation, electromagnetic currents, and a strong sense of smell. Pacific Salmon are also semelparous, meaning they die after they spawn. Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar) are anadromous but may spawn more than once.

When migrating, salmon are particularly susceptible to predators, so they seek deep areas to quickly swim into for protection. In the ocean, salmon school for protection, confusing predators with their flashy sides, and possibly being mistaken for a large predator. There are diverse predators of salmon at the varying stages of their lives. Other fishes, members of their own species, snakes and birds eat salmon fry. Once in the ocean, salmon are prey to whales, dolphins, seals, sea lions, other fishes and, of course, humans. There are three common techniques used for commercial fishing: seining, gill netting and trolling. At the end of their trip, bears and birds often scoop up spawning salmon.

A salmon's diet depends on the species and region, but typically juvenile salmon eat zooplankton, and larval and adult invertebrates. In the ocean, salmon eat smaller fish, such as herring, pelagic amphipods and krill.

Human populations have strong, and often negative impacts on salmon. Overfishing has led to a decline in some salmon stocks. Humans also develop land that destroys habitat, and build dams to generate electricity that impact salmon runs. All of these development methods have led to a decline in some salmon populations in some areas.

In 1985 the Canadian and US governments established the Pacific Salmon Treaty which outlines the conduct of fisheries, salmon management, research and enhancement programs. A copy of the treaty is available from the http://www.psc.org/ website.

Check here how you can bring your contribution in helping salmon conservation.