Arctic Climate Report Shares Data on Salmon Troubles in Western Alaska
Wild salmon populations in Western Alaska are engaged in constant battle with land and ocean heat waves, as well as other factors, resulting in fewer fish returning to the Yukon River, according to the annual Arctic Report Card, a collaborative effort of NOAA Fisheries and other stakeholders that was released Dec. 15.
The NOAA Fisheries 2023 Ecosystem Status Reports for Alaska, released by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), contains special sections on salmon, which note, for example, that in 2022, 81% fewer king salmon returned than average to the Yukon River, a new record low and part of a long-term decline seen across Alaska.
The report notes that the cause of this decline is complex and that researchers have found possible links to water temperature, diseas...