July 25, 2023 — The king salmon population in Alaska has dropped 60% since 1984, according to the Environmental Protection Agency.
A lawsuit aiming to curb the extinction of the salmon and orcas through limiting human consumption of the fish recently led to the shutdown of one of the largest fisheries in the world. The Wild Fish Conservancy, who filed the lawsuit, argued that the fate of orcas and king salmon were intertwined — the fish, known for their size and high fat content, are the whales’ preferred meal — and human consumption leaves little of the food source for the 73 remaining resident orcas off the coast of Seattle.
Now, some say halting the fishing of king salmon, also known as Chinook salmon, is only the start of preventing the species’ extinction. The other factor? Climate change.
Regardless whether king salmon are at risk of extinction because of human fishing or climate change, Corby Kummer, executive director of the Food and Society Policy program at the Aspen Institute, told Boston Public Radio the takeaway is the same: “We shouldn’t be catching and eating king salmon, period.”