Saving Salmon

One of the most pressing issues facing Atlantic salmon is survival at sea. Salmon populations have declined sharply in recent decades, largely due to poor survival during the ocean phase of their life cycle. Bob Keating talks to the experts (including ASF Vice President of Research and Environment Val Ouellet) about why.

One of the most pressing issues facing Atlantic salmon is survival at sea. Salmon populations have declined sharply in recent decades, largely due to poor survival during the ocean phase of their life cycle. Bob Keating talks to the experts (including ASF Vice President of Research and Environment Val Ouellet) about why.

Atlantic salmon thrive in cold water. When cold water ‘refuges’ are not available to them their very survival is at risk. The Atlantic Salmon Federation has been mapping rivers and augmenting these refuges for years. We sent Bob Keating out to discover why it’s so critical.

It’s a bold and ambitious goal. Atlantic Salmon Federation President Nathan Wilbur has set the goal of seeing 1 million adult salmon return to the rivers of the Atlantic coast. It’s also a great place to start a podcast season. Bob Keating sits down with Nathan Wilbur to talk about 1 million returning salmon.

Bob Talks to Kris Hunter who coordinates ASF’s Wild Salmon Watershed program about conservation for the long-term.

There are still rivers where wild Atlantic salmon are thriving and populations are on the rise.ASF’s Wild Salmon Watersheds program is designed to keep them that way. Bob took a trip to the Terra Nova River in Newfoundland to learn how ASF is partnering with local watershed groups to conserve what’s working for centuries to come.

Bob talks with ASF’s Vice President of U.S. Operations about past successes and future challenges on the Penobscot River.

Maine’s Penobscot River is a shining example of successful salmon conservation. Polluted and blocked by dams for hundreds of years, Bob visits the watershed to hear the story of how dam removal and clean-ups have brought an entire ecosystem back to life.

Bob speaks with Neville Crabbe, ASF’s Vice President of Communications and Special Projects about the future of salmon farming in Atlantic Canada.

As salmon farming is being banned in places like Washington State and British Columbia, governments in Atlantic Canada are welcoming the industry with open arms. After years of broken promises and environmental catastrophes, public opposition in places like Newfoundland and Labrador is growing. Bob Keating visits Burgeo, a community on Newfoundland’s south coast to hear from citizens who want a future without sea cages.

Bob Keating sits down with ASF President Nathan Wilbur to discuss one of the most pressing issues facing wild salmon in Canada’s Maritime Provinces; predation from another native species, striped bass.

The Miramichi River in New Brunswick is one of the most famous Atlantic salmon rivers, a destination for presidents and celebrities. But the Miramichi’s wild salmon are in free fall, partly because of an exploding striped bass population.