Scientific Principles of the
Basinwide Salmon Recovery Strategy
The Federal Caucus developed these principles from various scientific
reviews and recovery planning documents that have been developed for fish and
wildlife recovery in the Columbia Basin. These principles were used to shape
the Basinwide Salmon Recovery Strategy and will be used for implementation of
recommended actions.
- Conservation of Columbia Basin fish and aquatic species must address all
aspects of the ecosystem and the species’ lifecycle.
- Conservation requires a network of diverse, high quality, interconnected
habitats and high water quality. Natural systems functioning properly are
necessary to restore salmon and steelhead.
- Conservation requires preservation of life history diversity, genetic diversity
and metapopulation organization. These characteristics affect the response
of anadromous and resident fish populations to both demographic variation
and variation in climate and environment.
- Conservation requires re-establishment of the nutrient cycle provided by
decaying fish carcasses, to effectively cycle nutrients from ocean to freshwater.
- Because human activity, development and population growth will continue,
conservation depends on managing human impacts to achieve suitable ecosystem
conditions.
- Technology and research can be used to complement natural functions but
cannot replace them.
- Viability (or status) of salmon and steelhead populations can be evaluated
based on abundance, productivity, population structure and genetic diversity.
See also: Science
and Other Study Documents Archive
Next: Goals
