Salmon: Wild Pacific

Coho (Silver salmon), Chinook (King, Spring salmon), Chum (Dog salmon) , Pink (Humpback salmon), Sockeye (Red, Blueback salmon)

Sake

Pacific salmon include several species of fish belonging to the family Salmonidae and to the genus Oncorhynchus. Of the seven members of Oncorhynchus found on the West Coast, five are reviewed in this report: Chinook salmon (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), Chum salmon (Oncorhynchus keta), Coho salmon (Oncorhynchus kisutch), Pink salmon (Oncorhynchus gorbuscha), and Sockeye salmon (Oncorhynchus nerka). The anadromous trouts (Steelhead and Cutthroat trout) are not reviewed here due to the absence of a commercial fishery.

Salmon have natural reproductive traits that imply a biological resilience to overfishing. They are relatively short-lived animals (two to five years on average) that release large numbers of eggs when spawning, indicating a high potential reproductive rate. Apart from populations in Alaska, the overall inherent vulnerability of Pacific salmon to overfishing is considered moderate because of the potential for negative interactions with anthropogenic activities in freshwater spawning sites (e.g. logging, dams, pollution, introduced species, hydroelectric facilities etc.).

As a result of habitat loss, climatic shifts, historic overfishing, and other factors, the abundance of many populations of salmon has declined substantially over the past century. Overall, chinook, coho, sockeye, and pink salmon stocks in California, Oregon, and Washington have been significantly depleted from peak abundances; however several large runs in Washington continue to be viable. In some cases, long-term declines in abundance have been halted or reversed in the recent past. In contrast, Alaskan salmon, augmented by large hatchery operations,appear to be in robust health, with record abundance and harvests over the past two decades.

The gear employed in commercial salmon fisheries includes drift and set gillnets, purse seines, and trolling gear (also referred to as hook-and-line gear). When combined with management constraints such as area closures and gear restrictions, the methods used to catch salmon are highly selective for salmon, and overall bycatch rates of non-target species appear low. However, one of the inherent difficulties of managing salmon is that they are captured in mixed stock fisheries, in which salmon from a variety of different areas may be caught. This poses a particularly difficult problem in the Pacific Northwest and California where several stocks have been listed as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. Regular landings of these fish remain a serious concern despite management efforts to reduce exploitation rates.

The main gear types used in salmon fisheries (drift gillnets, purse seines, and trolling gear) rarely touch the sea floor. As such, salmon fisheries have little lasting physical impact on aquatic habitats. Salmon fisheries can indirectly affect aquatic habitats. Most notably, the widespread use of salmon hatcheries for conservation and fisheries augmentation purposes has been associated with degradation of natural habitat for wild salmonids.

Pacific salmon are among the most intensively managed species in the world, with excellent monitoring of populations and fishery effort relative to other commercial fisheries.

Is this wild or farmed salmon?
Was this salmon harvested legally?
What salmon species is this?
What river/run did this salmon come from?

Adults should eat no more than 1 meal per month + Kids age 6-12 should eat no more than 1 meal per month + Kids up to age 6 should eat no more than ½ meals per month + Elevated PCB levels

No.