Salmon don't recognize borders. They're born in freshwater streams, migrate to the Pacific, roam for years, then return to the exact stream of their birth to spawn and die.
This journey takes them through BC waters, Oregon waters, Washington waters (yes, Washington exists), and past Hawaii (the ocean part).
If any species embodies the case for unified Pacific coast management, it's salmon.
The Current Crisis:
Let's not sugarcoat this: Pacific salmon are in trouble.
BC:
- Multiple stocks at historic lows
- Fraser River sockeye: Collapsed (2009-2019 was catastrophic)
- Commercial fishing: Severely curtailed
- Causes: Climate change (warm water), habitat degradation, fish farms (controversial), ocean conditions
Oregon:
- Similar story
- Columbia River salmon: Dammed, degraded, diminished
- Coastal runs: Variable, concerning trends
- Causes: Dams (big ones), habitat loss, ocean conditions, historical overfishing
Hawaii:
- Not a salmon fishery (wrong latitude)
- But: Important for Pacific tuna, mahi-mahi, and other pelagic species
- And: Whatever affects Pacific ocean health affects all fisheries
The Case for Unified Management:
Currently, salmon are managed by:
- Fisheries and Oceans Canada (BC)
- Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife
- National Marine Fisheries Service (US federal)
- Pacific Salmon Commission (US-Canada treaty body)
- Various First Nations and tribal authorities
- Multiple international agreements
This patchwork creates:
- Conflicting regulations
- Jurisdictional gaps
- Coordination failures
- Finger-pointing when runs collapse
A unified provincial jurisdiction could:
- Single management authority
- Watershed-level thinking (not political boundary thinking)
- Coordinated habitat restoration
- Consistent enforcement
- Indigenous co-management throughout
The Habitat Question:
Salmon need:
- Cold, clean freshwater streams for spawning
- Intact riparian zones (streamside vegetation)
- Unblocked migration routes
- Healthy ocean ecosystems
They face:
- Warming water (climate change)
- Dams blocking migration (especially Columbia River)
- Urban development degrading streams
- Agricultural runoff
- Fish farms (disease transmission concern)
- Ocean changes (the "blob" of warm water, acidification)
Fixing this requires landscape-level action. One province, managing one coastline and all connected watersheds, has a better chance than the current fragmented approach.
The Dam Conversation:
Oregon's salmon runs are devastated by dams. The Columbia River has 14 major dams. The Snake River (tributary) has more.
These dams provide:
- Hydroelectric power (clean energy)
- Irrigation for agriculture
- Flood control
- Navigation
They also:
- Block salmon migration
- Kill juveniles in turbines
- Warm water (bad for cold-water fish)
- Fragment habitat
The conversation about dam removal is active but contentious. Four Snake River dams are being studied for potential removal.
As a Canadian province, would Oregon approach this differently? Would the trade-offs shift?
This isn't a simple question. But it's a question we should discuss.
Hawaii's Ocean Role:
Hawaii sits in the middle of the Pacific. What happens in the open ocean affects salmon before they return to BC/Oregon rivers.
Hawaii-based research and monitoring could provide:
- Ocean condition data
- Climate tracking
- Ecosystem understanding
- International coordination (Pacific-wide management)
Hawaii wouldn't fish salmon, but Hawaii could help save salmon.
Indigenous Fishing Rights:
Salmon are not just an economic resource. For First Nations in BC and tribes in Oregon, salmon are:
- Food security (traditional diet)
- Cultural identity
- Spiritual connection
- Legal right (treaty-protected)
Any fisheries management framework must center Indigenous rights and knowledge.
This isn't optional. This is foundational.
Discussion Questions:
- How do we balance conservation with fishing community livelihoods?
- Should dam removal be on the table for Oregon's rivers?
- How do we integrate Indigenous co-management throughout the region?
- What's the role of salmon aquaculture (fish farms)? Should it exist?
- How do we address climate change impacts on salmon that are beyond our direct control?