Saving Salmon

There are still rivers where wild Atlantic salmon are thriving and populations are on the rise.ASF’s Wild Salmon Watersheds program is designed to keep them that way. Bob took a trip to the Terra Nova River in Newfoundland to learn how ASF is partnering with local watershed groups to conserve what’s working for centuries to come.

Maine’s Penobscot River is a shining example of successful salmon conservation. Polluted and blocked by dams for hundreds of years, Bob visits the watershed to hear the story of how dam removal and clean-ups have brought an entire ecosystem back to life.

As salmon farming is being banned in places like Washington State and British Columbia, governments in Atlantic Canada are welcoming the industry with open arms. After years of broken promises and environmental catastrophes, public opposition in places like Newfoundland and Labrador is growing. Bob Keating visits Burgeo, a community on Newfoundland’s south coast to hear from citizens who want a future without sea cages.

The Miramichi River in New Brunswick is one of the most famous Atlantic salmon rivers, a destination for presidents and celebrities. But the Miramichi’s wild salmon are in free fall, partly because of an exploding striped bass population.