How Sockeye Salmon Are Affected by Climate Change
Magnitude
Pacific sockeye salmon populations are so low that they are on the verge of becoming an ecological disaster. In fact, most of the sockeye in British Columbia are critically endangered. This is mainly due to the nine million missing sockeye from expected returns in 2010. lt was expected that 10.6 to 13 million sockeye were supposed to return. The sockeye salmon have caught the attention of the International Union for the Conservation of Nature, which has added the fish to their Red List of Threatened Species. This was after an assessment which looked at the sockeye populations on a global scale. This assessment claimed that approximately 7% of the sockeye salmon’s historical range has been lost, and is now left at an estimated geographic range of 11.5 million km2. They currently extended from Russia, US, Canada and Japan. Clearly, the decline of the sockeye numbers is a global concern not just Canada’s…
Causes
The impact of climate change and a variety of other factors have taken an
enormous toll on Pacific Sockeye Salmon. For example, the 20°C water temperature of the Fraser River during the summer migration has resulted in a decline of salmon population. These salmon who spend a long time in the warm water have a higher chance of dying from a kidney or gill infection. Sockeye left for four weeks in l8°C water had double the death rate compared to sockeye in 10°C water. Sea lice from salmon farms kills the wild salmon when the lice attaches to the salmon’s skin. Low marine survival rates are a major factor threatening the sockeye. Almost everything we do impacts the salmon directly/indirectly. Another issue facing the sockeye is overfishing due to mixed stock fishing. As well as the negative effects of artificial spawning habitat and hatcheries. These are some of the factors responsible for the decline of the sockeye’s population.
References
Hume, Mark. "Quarter of world's sockeye salmon threatened with extinction: report" Canadian Press [Ottawa] 7 Oct. 2008. Canadian Reference Centre. EBSCO. 15 Apr. 2010 <http://web.ebscohost.com/>.
Hume, Mark. "Vanislied Fraser sockeye salmon run seen as disaster, but reason a mystery." Canadian Press [Ottawa] 13 Aug. 2009. Canadian Reference Centre. EBSCO. 14 Apr. 2010 <http://search.ebscohost.com>.
Hume, Mark. "Warm water partly cause of salmon decline, study finds." Globe and Mail [Toronto] 30 Mar. 2010. lnfo Trac Secondary. 15 Apr. 2010 <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/warm-water-partly-cause-of-salmon-decline-study-finds/article1366423/>.
Leather, Edward. "Fraser River Sockeye at Risk from Fish Farms?" Georgia Strait Alliance Caring for our coastal waters. 17 Apr. 2010 <http://www.georgiastrait.org/?q=node/809>.
Osborn, Liz. "Sockeye Salmon Can't Handle the Heat - Current Results." Current Results. 2008. 15 Apr. 2010 <http://www.currentresults.com/Wildlife/Fish/sockeye-salmon-heat-803231.php>.
Rand, P.S. 2008. Oncorhynchus nerka. ln: 1UCN 2010. 1UCN Red List of Threatened
Species. Version 2010.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>. 18 April 2010.
"Role of the Commission" Pacific Salmon Commission formed to implement the Pacific Salmon Treaty. 15
Apr. 2010 <http://www.psc.org/>.
Smith, Stephen. "Gold Seal - Salmon Life Cycle." Gold Seal - Really Wild Salmon. Gold
Seal. 18 Apr. 2010 <http://wwwgoldseal.ca/wildsalmon/lifeycycle.asp#ad.ults>.
Hume, Mark. "Quarter of world's sockeye salmon threatened with extinction: report" Canadian Press [Ottawa] 7 Oct. 2008. Canadian Reference Centre. EBSCO. 15 Apr. 2010 <http://web.ebscohost.com/>.
Hume, Mark. "Vanislied Fraser sockeye salmon run seen as disaster, but reason a mystery." Canadian Press [Ottawa] 13 Aug. 2009. Canadian Reference Centre. EBSCO. 14 Apr. 2010 <http://search.ebscohost.com>.
Hume, Mark. "Warm water partly cause of salmon decline, study finds." Globe and Mail [Toronto] 30 Mar. 2010. lnfo Trac Secondary. 15 Apr. 2010 <http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/british-columbia/warm-water-partly-cause-of-salmon-decline-study-finds/article1366423/>.
Leather, Edward. "Fraser River Sockeye at Risk from Fish Farms?" Georgia Strait Alliance Caring for our coastal waters. 17 Apr. 2010 <http://www.georgiastrait.org/?q=node/809>.
Osborn, Liz. "Sockeye Salmon Can't Handle the Heat - Current Results." Current Results. 2008. 15 Apr. 2010 <http://www.currentresults.com/Wildlife/Fish/sockeye-salmon-heat-803231.php>.
Rand, P.S. 2008. Oncorhynchus nerka. ln: 1UCN 2010. 1UCN Red List of Threatened
Species. Version 2010.1. <www.iucnredlist.org>. 18 April 2010.
"Role of the Commission" Pacific Salmon Commission formed to implement the Pacific Salmon Treaty. 15
Apr. 2010 <http://www.psc.org/>.
Smith, Stephen. "Gold Seal - Salmon Life Cycle." Gold Seal - Really Wild Salmon. Gold
Seal. 18 Apr. 2010 <http://wwwgoldseal.ca/wildsalmon/lifeycycle.asp#ad.ults>.