KGMI News
SEATTLE, Wash. – A new report says that while many Washington salmon species are listed as endangered, there has been a population explosion of short-lived pink, chum and sockeye salmon in the Pacific Ocean.
An article in the April Journal of Marine and Ocean Fisheries says Pacific Ocean salmon biomass has been holding steady in the past 20 years.
The numbers of pinks, chum and sockeye are at their highest since record-keeping began in the 1920’s.
The authors say the ever higher numbers of pinks may be competing for resources with dwindling longer-lived species such as chinook and coho salmon.
The report speculates that higher numbers of out-of-state hatchery salmon lead to competition for ocean resources and crowd out wild fish.