
Salmon of the West
What is a salmon?
Why are salmon in trouble?
Who is in charge?
Voices of the West
Wild/Hatchery: a difference?
Why you should care
What is the FWS doing?
What you can do

Why you should care

Man with very large salmon slung over his shoulder - early 20th century photo

The problems and solutions belong to everyone.

Salmon are not only a profound component of the Northwest's economy and identity; they have been a spiritual and cultural center of Northwest Native American tribes for thousands of years. Salmon decline has been slow but sure and is the result of many factors. The solution will be equally slow and complex and will not come from simple actions.

The possibility that wild salmon may become extinct indicates that our waterways are in such bad shape they can no longer support a species that has been in our rivers and streams for eons and once numbered in the millions. And ultimately, human health also is dependent on healthy rivers.

Once a wild run is lost it will not return. Extinction is forever


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