The Arctic

Salmon are a biological cornerstone of the Kamchatka ecosystem.
© Kevein Schafer/WWF

The Russian Kamchatka Peninsula produces up to one-quarter of all wild Pacific salmon. Twenty percent of Russian fish is being caught in the Kamchatka region. Its river systems host the greatest diversity and concentration of salmonid fish on Earth. Salmon are more than a seasonal visitor to the rivers throughout the peninsula, they are a biological cornerstone of the ecosystems in which they live and a vital component to the vibrant coastal economies.

However, salmon are under increasing threats from illegal fishing and overfishing. The increasing demand for salmon and salmon caviar, a delicacy in Russia and Japan, is reducing salmon populations beyond the point which they can naturally recover. Over the last two decades, the relatively well-protected Kamchatka fisheries have deteriorated along with the capacity of management agencies to enforce laws regulating harvest.

Salmon habitat is also under increasing development pressures. The pristine rivers of the Kamchatka Peninsula - spawning grounds for salmon - and surrounding landscape are being cut by roads and infrastructure for mining and oil and gas expansion.