USA Today: Millions of fish dead in Pacific Northwest — Ocean conditions have ‘gone to hell’

a reply to: rickymouse

Salmon do not just randomly or otherwise choose their spawning grounds. They go back to where they were born. The fact is quite simple: there is a drought going down on the west coast. Nothing particularly unusual, droughts happen and always have. Water levels are lower, oxygen levels are lower, so the salmon are stacking up in areas they cannot get past to reach their spawning grounds. They do not swim back downriver and find cooler waters and it is not in their nature to do so. So they stack up incredibly densely which provides easy meals for bears, easy targets for disease and wind up dying unable to reproduce because they cannot reach their spawning grounds.

With El Nino arriving this year, I sorta doubt the drought will continue beyond this summer.

On the other hand, it is rather clear from statements from the California govt and others that the drought is clearly being blamed on man made climate change.

Just like Katrina was credited to man made climate change.

As if drought and large hurricanes never existed before. As if we are in a bad SyFy movie and the end of the world is imminent. I will believe it when sharks start flying in tornadoes.

originally posted by: bbracken677
a reply to: rickymouse

Salmon do not just randomly or otherwise choose their spawning grounds. They go back to where they were born. The fact is quite simple: there is a drought going down on the west coast. Nothing particularly unusual, droughts happen and always have. Water levels are lower, oxygen levels are lower, so the salmon are stacking up in areas they cannot get past to reach their spawning grounds. They do not swim back downriver and find cooler waters and it is not in their nature to do so. So they stack up incredibly densely which provides easy meals for bears, easy targets for disease and wind up dying unable to reproduce because they cannot reach their spawning grounds.

With El Nino arriving this year, I sorta doubt the drought will continue beyond this summer.

On the other hand, it is rather clear from statements from the California govt and others that the drought is clearly being blamed on man made climate change.

Just like Katrina was credited to man made climate change.

As if drought and large hurricanes never existed before. As if we are in a bad SyFy movie and the end of the world is imminent. I will believe it when sharks start flying in tornadoes.

But it isn't spawning season yet. Unless they have a different season on the west coast. So what you are saying is probably not what is causing the die off of salmon.

I have seen spawning fish change rivers when one is disturbed. The other rivers get more fish when that happens. Sometimes the fish dropped their eggs in the lake here though when the fish and Wildlife service tried to help the river by modifying it. They Fish and Wildlife Service did learn from this though, they are a lot better about what they do now.

Fish can get their natural compass messed up for multiple reasons but I don't think that has anything to do with this because I don't think it is spawning season. When I was in Alaska visiting my uncle, it was in September and October which is the same as here..

a reply to: rickymouse

July is not an unusual period for salmon runs.....

a reply to: rickymouse

many salmon have been found diverting up the Deschutes river, just above the Dalles Or.
they didnt make it very far..so yes..the are searching for cooler water.

honest to Goodness this is a huge crock of BS! I swim and Kayak in this ocean nearly every day, it is TEAMING with life and clean, and fresh and rejuvenating!

My NEXT DOOR neighbor, RIGHT beside me, is leading this BS dis-info campaign.... it is pure paradise here and I think they want to keep people out, or scare them into leaving, but I am telling you, it is FINE, I do not know why they are lying about this, besides my neighbor is trying to gather "funds" to continue is research and scamming, but besides that, it truly is BS!

I myself don't mind if nobody else moves here though too, I must admit I like the isolation... a bunch of people were here on the long weekend from Californian, saying WE are the new California, and I was thinking, PLEASE go home! So maybe that is why??

a reply to: hidingthistime

Not sure what area you are speaking of, but my brother lives in Washington state and has described the salmon situation to me in detail...prior to this thread ever existing. It's due to the drought and tons of salmon are dying, but the bears are fat and happy.

He said nothing about the pacific ocean.

originally posted by: bbracken677
a reply to: hidingthistime

Not sure what area you are speaking of, but my brother lives in Washington state and has described the salmon situation to me in detail...prior to this thread ever existing. It's due to the drought and tons of salmon are dying, but the bears are fat and happy.

He said nothing about the pacific ocean.

I am further up the coast, in canada, and all is well, everyone is fishing up a storm.... maybe too much fishing up here??

a reply to: Profusion
Well ain't that something.

Obviously the only real way to tell if anything would happen is the cause and effect thing. And the only real way something like spawning and fishes are going the way of the dodo that would be noticeable by people in the PNW or elsewhere is if prices for fish and other seafood skyrocket in the coming years, it would have a direct effect on that eventually, and even though most fishing is done in the deep Alaskan waters. Well!

Other then that I don't think most would notice if they had 20 atoms bombs go off in the pacific ocean somewhere most especially if its not broadcast on the news, but if it costs 500$ for some fish that the supermarket when previously it was only 20$ to 50$, then maybe people may take notice, and I say "may" as its still not guaranteed lots would notice.

Ya know cause and effect and such.

Till then we shall see.

a reply to: galadofwarthethird

im not sure what you mean exactly,20 nukes in the Pacific would surely be felt.
what many dont realize is that we still suffer the effects of the first atomic bombs.
its in the atmosphere, its all over, this stuff doesnt just magically go away in a couple of years.

a reply to: autopat51
At one time I to may have believed that. Now? I am not so sure.

I think you could set off some nukes in the pacific with nobody being none the wiser. And if anybody asks or gets suspicious. Just say it was all a big stromfront, that or just hire some guys to go online and in media for like 100$ each hire like 50 of them or more, and make everybody who questions all the things to look like there nutty.

And if there kids start growing extra eye or arms suddenly, just blame it on poor hygiene and not taking there flu shoots at the doctors. That and dont televise it, and you should be good with setting off nukes in the pacific.

It can be done is what I am saying. You know how it goes, if a tree fall in the woods and nobody is around to hear it does it make a sound? Just substitute tree for atom bomb and hearing for perceptions and popular opinion of populous, and seeing for media coverage. And you would, if not bury it, then muddy the waters so much that it would not be bothered to look at in the next 70 or so years. And by then? Well it would not matter by then one way or another. I am not saying they wont be felt or even seen. What I am saying is they would not register to most peoples outlook of things, most especially if you help it along. Willful ignorance is practically a pastime and hobby of many people.

But on to the OP and the millions of fishes missing or dying. While it may be a sign of something maybe fukushima or maybe the changing climate and currents or maybe all of the above. But I do believe overfishing and those big massive fishing operations literally scraping the bottom of the ocean sometimes are doing more damage then fukushima will do to fish populations and habitats.

You know how it goes, give a man a fish and he will eat for a day, teach a man to fish and he will eat his whole life, but teach a man to fish on a mass level, and he will fish the oceans dry and starve to death in the long run.

Since I just read through a lot of wrong information about salmon figure I'd post this. This way no more strange claims.
www.nps.gov...