What can we do to ensure the traditional breeding grounds of salmon considering the problems of overfishing and damming of rivers that they must climb up?

I have no objections towards the flavour of farmed salmon, and I would purchase it or other fish with no qualms in order to alleviate the burden on wild fish farming and overfishing.

I think the best approach in keeping them alive is to not eat then, and to encourage the consumption of other fish or meats.

@dynamicduo that said, how would you accommodate the omega3 fatty acids they produce, and the flavor that most consumers demand. I don’t see that your acceptance of sub-par fish would appeal to the masses however who indeed do control how the market operates.

I can get my Omega 3 fatty acids elsewhere. It’s not just salmon that produces it! In fact, Flax seeds have more than salmon does.

Regarding the flavour, well this is not really my problem to fix. It’s up to the marketing companies to solve, that is, if they actually want to solve it. The salmon industry would be pretty angry in losing customers, but they’re also the ones doing the overfishing. The burden is really on the other fish producers, they need to make consumers aware that other fish exist and are equally delicious and versatile.

If customers aren’t willing to sacrifice the flavour, then I think that salmon will one day become extinct, then they’ll have the flavour taken away from them permanently. It’s not like it’s the first species humans have eaten to extinction.

@dynamicduo Flax seeds are yucky, all I can think of is linen. The Northwest is slowly but surely de-damming important rivers. I also think that many Native American tribes that depend upon spawning salmon for their food would be excellent protectors of this very crucial step in the salmon life cycle. I for one really find fresh caught salmon to be a truly delicious treat and I have noticed the drab flavor of farm raised fish. We have to have faith that we as people can reverse the harms that we have done.

Well, walnuts then. Or shrimp. What I’m saying is that there is more than one source of Omega 3 fatty acids.

I’m glad you have faith in your ability to reverse damming etc, but I’m quite comfortable sitting here eating a wide variety of foods, and I feel that my choice plays an equal part in reducing the damage done to salmon populations :)

Although I don’t eat salmon, there are some good arguments for people who do to choose wild salmon over farm-raised- and, in fact, many organizations working for salmon will verify this. Salmon ranching has very negative impacts on the ecosystem.

The best thing to do for wild salmon is to support measures that assure the conservation of their habitat.

This is a good question but some of the answers here illustrate many of the misunderstandings that cloud the farmed vs. wild salmon issue.

Farmed salmon harms, not helps, wild salmon. Learn the facts and support the organizations working to protect wild salmon ecosystems and promote sustainable wild salmon fisheries and markets:

http://wildsalmoncenter.org/about/faq.php#farm

http://www.whywild.org/site/c.adKGIRNsEoG/b.2382871/k.BDDF/Home.htm

http://www.msc.org/

@crisw You always tell it as it is and yet again you have the knock out story to tell. Yet again you have proven that you are well worth listening to and that we all should take what you have to say very seriously. You’ve always earned my sincerest regards.