Why Salmon Matter

When salmon thrive, we thrive.

Salmon are the Heart of the Salish Sea

Salmon’s health is an indicator of the overall health of the Pacific Northwest environment and, in turn, our own health.

The Northwest’s identity can’t be defined without the salmon that have sustained people and their cultures since time immemorial. Whether enriching forests with oceanic nutrients, providing sustenance to wildlife and humans, creating a spiritual connection to the earth, inspiring youth, or supporting generations of fishers, salmon are a profound icon defining our connection to place.

Salmon are as complex as they are magnificent. In their lifetime, spanning up to seven years, salmon migrate thousands of miles across several ecosystems—from mountainous headwaters, down creeks and rivers, through estuaries, to the North Pacific Ocean, and back again. They have remarkable abilities to survive fresh and saltwater, and extraordinary navigational skills that lead them back to where they once came, ready to spawn their next generation.

We partner with a breadth of stakeholders to bring salmon home for the long run.

Since our founding in 1986, Long Live the Kings has worked to restore wild salmon and steelhead and to support sustainable fishing. Our programs―combining on-the-ground fieldwork with scientific innovation and broad partnerships―help decision-makers advance salmon recovery while balancing the needs of fish and people.

We are implementing solutions to rebuild salmon and steelhead populations in Hood Canal and Puget Sound, unraveling the mystery of low salmon survival in the Salish Sea, advancing science and retooling management throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Lower Mortality in Puget Sound

Supporting salmon ecosystems top to bottom: from whales to zooplankton.

Increase Abundance

Increase herring abundance and geographic diversity

Reduce Predation

20% reduction in seal predation, especially at migration bottlenecks

Decrease Toxics

Decrease toxics in critical salmon habitat in Puget Sound

Increase Chinook Diversity

Working to restore salmon populations, their habitats, and food sources.

50,000+

raise adult kokanee to increase population in Lake Sammamish

15%

increase in older, larger returning Chinook to Glenwood Springs

Restore

estuaries for salmon, humans, and climate benefits

Remove Barriers to Migration

Improving or removing human-made migration obstacles in Puget Sound.

20% more

juvenile steelhead survive passage at the Hood Canal Bridge

Support

the removal of dams and culverts in the Pacific Northwest

Improve

salmon survival in urban areas like the Lake Washington Ship Canal

Inspire Action through Education

Using Survive the Sound to launch education efforts and build a constituency of salmon advocates.

Engage 100k+

youth in salmon conservation programs annually

60k+

supporters following Long Live the Kings and our work

Educate

lawmakers to align policy with salmon recovery goals

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