Management Plan For Salmon s Alaskan And North Pacific...

BSC3052 – Conservation Biology Management Plan for Salmon in Alaskan North Pacific Ecosystems It comes as no surprise that salmon are one of the most sought after species of fish in the world for human consumption. Because of this, heavy industry and markets have had a critical influence on the salmon populations. Seventeen strains of Pacific salmon are currently listed as threatened or endangered. Due to their extreme demand, many problems have resulted for the species as a whole, from hindrances in their reproduction patterns by modifications in their environment (dams and river modifications) to detrimental conservation efforts (where hatchery salmon were reintroduced causing â€Å"genetic and behavioral dilution†), there are a plethora†¦show more content†¦By 2008, that figure had jumped to 5 billion. Because of the huge presence of hatchery salmon in wild, the result is when hatchery-bred fish return as adults and interbreed with wild salmon, they produce offspring that are less hardy than their purely wild counterparts. Arguably the existence of hatcheri es is directly responsible for offsetting the salmon species composition of the entire North Pacific. Economically, while fisheries immediately can be seen as generating a huge profit, extended dependence and exploitation of fisheries can be incredibly distressing. In an effort to maximize the yield of salmon, hatcheries are failing to see the ocean is an exhaustible resource. The North Pacific Ocean is, at an alarming rate, nearing the limit of its salmon-carrying capacity. (Peterson, 2008) Because hatchery salmon are both outcompeting wild populations of salmon and simultaneously causing genetic dilution by mating with wild populations, the fish that are being caught by fisherman, at an alarming rate, are far less in quality than their wild counterparts. The reason why? Wild populations often possess resistance to the parasites and diseases of their native streams that are not found in the foreign hatchery salmon. In addition, the â€Å"decreasing quality† of salmon also ne gatively influences recreational activities such as sport fishing, a valuable component of both the Alaskan economy and the economies of the pacific north-west. Millions