The Greatest Wild Salmon Runs Remaining on Earth

Hundreds of millions of wild Pacific salmon fill Alaska’s streams, rivers and lakes each year. Elsewhere in the world, these salmon are disappearing. Salmon populations have been dramatically reduced throughout large portions of their range in Washington, Oregon, California, Idaho, Japan and British Columbia, and this habitat loss may be irreversible.

Alaska and the Russian Far East remain the strongholds for Pacific wild salmon, but if these salmon are to be conserved for future generations, then Alaska – where there are healthy wild stocks and habitats and a greater measure of political stability—is the best place to do it on Earth.

Salmon are the foundation for many of Alaska's ecological systems. At all freshwater stages--from egg to spawning adult--salmon play an essential role in bringing nutrients to the web of life. In many areas of the state, salmon are also a basic staple of life for residents, particularly Alaska's Native people, and the foundation of local economies.

Though generally healthy, wild salmon stocks in Alaska are vulnerable to the same threats that have led to their demise elsewhere: habitat degradation, changes in river flows, pollution, barriers to migration, and overharvest. The Conservancy is integrating statewide research, policy and habitat management efforts with local, watershed level action in a comprehensive program to ensure wild salmon in thrive far into the future.

Taking Action

Watershed Conservation

Kenai Peninsula Watersheds

Nushagak River Watershed

Matanuska-Susitna Basin

Prince of Wales, Tongass National Forest

Restoration

Colter Creek in the Mat-Su

Harris River on Prince of Wales Island

Moose Creek in the Mat-Su

Images: Sockeye salmon and rainbow trout© USFWS/Greg Syverson