Salmon Runs

Salmon are the iconic fish of the Pacific Northwest of the USA. And, many species of salmon are endangered.

My interest in the fisheries, science, and cultural issues was piqued during a high volume of spawning salmon in Pipers Creek in Seattle, Washington, USA in the autumn of 2021.

I've continued to vaguely follow the issues but now, in 2023, a couple salmon runs are stronger than expected (still way too low) and the sockeye salmon remain scarce.

We obviously need to rely on metrics for preventing overexploitation of a food-source, but can models predict accurately with the vast unknowns facing habitats?

Visitors pass a sockeye salmon carcass on the shore of the Cedar River in Washington State, USA on October 8, 2023.

Silver and chinook salmon spawn through the Hiram M. Chittenden Locks (Ballard Locks) in Seattle, Washington, USA on September 27, 2023.

Fishermen’s Terminal, home of the North Pacific Fishing Fleet that operates in Alaska, is seen under grey skies in Seattle, Washington, USA on December 4, 2021.

A silver (coho) salmon from Alaska is thrown at Pike Place Market in Seattle, Washington, USA on December 4, 2021.

The Ice Harbor Dam and fish ladder on the Snake River in Washington State, USA, seen on December 19, 2021, is being considered for removal.

A fish weir in the Cedar River is a component of fishery management in Washington State, USA, seen on October 8, 2023.

What is likely a chum salmon carcass lays in a shallow of Pipers Creek after spawning from the Puget Sound in Seattle, Washington, USA on November 28, 2021.

Sockeye salmon spawn in the Cedar River of Washington State, USA on October 8, 2023.