By D. W. G. Kalani Tharanga, JadeTimes News
As Alaska's rivers warm, its iconic salmon are facing an uncertain future, forced to either adapt to increasingly inhospitable waters or seek out cooler habitats. The rising temperatures of these rivers are a relatively recent development, mirroring the well documented ocean heatwaves. Scientists warn that these changes are putting immense pressure on the salmon populations, which are crucial to the culture and lifestyle of many coastal native tribes in Alaska.
The Struggle for Survival and Migration
Salmon, known for their remarkable migratory patterns, are highly sensitive to temperature changes. These anadromous fish are born in freshwater rivers, spend part of their lives in the ocean, and return to their birthplace to spawn and die. Alaska is home to all five species of Pacific salmon pink, chinook, coho, sockeye, and chum but climate change is altering their traditional habitats.
Recent studies show that some salmon species, like chum, are beginning to spawn in previously too cold Arctic rivers as they search for cooler waters. This shift is especially pronounced in the northward migration into the western Canadian Arctic. However, the warming temperatures are affecting salmon differently across Alaska. While some populations move north, others are struggling with heat stress, particularly in southern regions where rising temperatures are becoming lethal.
"Migrations are costly," explains Peter Westley, associate professor of fisheries at the University of Alaska Fairbanks. "If you're going to travel, it puts you at risk of being eaten by predators and you're burning energy to swim longer distances." The challenges are significant, and not all salmon are able to find better conditions, leading to declining populations in some areas.
Native Alaskan Efforts to Preserve Salmon Culture
The decline in salmon populations has had a profound impact on the native tribes along the Yukon River, where salmon has been a staple of their diet and culture for thousands of years. Eva Dawn Burk, a member of the Nenana native village, recalls her upbringing in a fish camp along the Yukon River, where her family subsisted on salmon. However, the last five years have seen a severe scarcity of salmon, forcing many tribes to turn to other species like beavers, ducks, and moose to supplement their diet.
Burk, who now specializes in natural resources and environmental advocacy, is actively involved in efforts to protect the salmon. She joined the North Pacific Fishery Management Council's Advisory Panel to increase tribal representation in fishery management decisions. Burk and other tribal leaders are fighting against the industrial trawlers that they believe are contributing to the decline of salmon populations by intercepting them before they can return to their rivers to spawn.
The situation is dire, but there is hope. Dune Lankard, an Eyak Athabaskan native and commercial fisherman, has spent his life fighting to protect wild salmon habitats. After witnessing the devastation of the Exxon Valdez oil spill in 1989, Lankard dedicated himself to conserving millions of acres of salmon habitat. He also advocates for sustainable practices like kelp farming, which helps sequester carbon and improve marine habitats.
Despite the challenges, Lankard remains optimistic about the future of wild salmon. "Salmon economies are renewable," he says. "But we need to protect habitats everywhere possible so that the salmon have a home to come back to and we can continue being salmon people." The efforts of native Alaskans like Burk and Lankard are crucial in the fight to preserve these vital fish and the way of life they support.
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