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Salmon

Six varieties of salmon swim through the rivers of the Great Bear Rainforest, the backbone of the rainforest's health.

Pacific salmon are the lifeblood of the Great Bear Rainforest. Animal, plants and people depend on this one species, a migratory fish that returns to the rainforest. The rainforest has many of the world's largest wild pacific salmon runs. Runs of Coho, Chinook, Sockeye, Pink, Chum and Steelhead swim up the rivers and streams that flow through B.C.'s temperate rainforests, bringing life to the entire coastal landscape.

The salmon feed many of the 140 species of wildlife that live in the rainforest, including wolves and eagles. Bears feast on salmon to prepare for hibernation, dragging the carcasses into the forest, nourishing the soil and fertilizing the towering trees with valuable nutrients.

First Nation livelihoods, cultures and values are intimately linked to the survival of salmon, while salmon are the source of a commercial fishing industry in British Columbia worth several hundred million dollars.

The survival of this signature species depends on clean water, good spawning and rearing habitat and streamside vegetation for shade and food.

However, large-scale clearcuts and logging roads have eroded entire hillsides into watersheds, clogging and fouling vital spawning beds. Without healthy, abundant salmon, the entire northwest coast faces an unpromising future.

photos: Adrian Dorst (banner), Terry Brown (centre)

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	You are here: Home - The Place - Wildlife - Salmon Document Actions Send this page Print this page Salmon Six varieties of salmon swim through the rivers of the Great Bear Rainforest, the backbone of the rainforest's health. Pacific salmon are the lifeblood of the Great Bear Rainforest. Animal, plants and people depend on this one species, a migratory fish that returns to the rainforest. The rainforest has many of the world's largest wild pacific salmon runs. Runs of Coho, Chinook, Sockeye, Pink, Chum and Steelhead swim up the rivers and streams that flow through B.C.'s temperate rainforests, bringing life to the entire coastal landscape. The salmon feed many of the 140 species of wildlife that live in the rainforest, including wolves and eagles. Bears feast on salmon to prepare for hibernation, dragging the carcasses into the forest, nourishing the soil and fertilizing the towering trees with valuable nutrients. First Nation livelihoods, cultures and values are intimately linked to the survival of salmon, while salmon are the source of a commercial fishing industry in British Columbia worth several hundred million dollars. The survival of this signature species depends on clean water, good spawning and rearing habitat and streamside vegetation for shade and food. However, large-scale clearcuts and logging roads have eroded entire hillsides into watersheds, clogging and fouling vital spawning beds. Without healthy, abundant salmon, the entire northwest coast faces an unpromising future. photos: Adrian Dorst (banner), Terry Brown (centre)