Wild Atlantic salmon —a natural wonder

Atlantic Salmon are great indicators of the overall health of an ecosystem; when an ecosystem is healthy and well-connected, its salmon are typically also healthy. Conversely, when salmon populations are declining, it could be indicative of a change in the ecosystem.

Due to their complex migration from rivers to the ocean, salmon are an important species in a variety of ecosystems. Salmon contribute to biodiversity, and play an important role in the food chain in both freshwater and marine environments.

Atlantic salmon is an important species for many Indigenous communities. Salmon are large fish that can provide sustenance to many families as well as support social, cultural, and economic relationships.

When European settlers arrived, salmon became a key part of their diets as well. Angling quickly became an activity that is still enjoyed today by many people who are passionate about salmon

Atlantic salmon are in the 1% of fish species worldwide that move between freshwater and saltwater environments. To survive, their body changes shape and colour; their gills and organs, like kidneys, also adjust.

For instance, juvenile salmon (parr) have stripes on their flanks to camouflage them, while Atlantic salmon become dark blue with a silver belly to avoid predators in the ocean. Upon returning to freshwater, Atlantic salmon turn bright silver with a lilac sheen for a few days before changing to their standard colour.

Salmon also transform as they prepare for spawning. Sexual features, like the male’s hooked jaw, known as a kype, become prominent. Kelts, also called Black Salmon, spawn in the autumn and stay in their river over the winter. Returning to the ocean, they are skinny, having used all their fat reserves and reabsorbed muscle tissue.