Alaska's Salmon Becoming Smaller
2020-08-27
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1Alaska's salmon - popular among seafood lovers around the world - are getting smaller.
2Their change in size might be a result of climate change and increased competition, a recent study said.
3The study, led by University of Alaska at Fairbanks (UAF) scientists, found that four of Alaska's five wild salmon species have shrunk in average size over the past sixty years.
4Alaska's official state fish, the Chinook salmon - also known as king salmon - have decreased the most in size.
5Chinooks are 8 percent smaller, on average, than they were before 1990.
6The study, which appeared recently in the journal Nature Communications, also said Alaska's sockeye, coho and chum salmon are shrinking.
7The findings are based on data from 12.5 million samples collected over six decades.
8Peter Westley of UAF's College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences co-wrote the study.
9It confirms some stories told by Alaskans who have lived in the state for many years, Westley said.
10"People are walking into their smokehouses and not having to duck anymore...The fish are just smaller."
11A smokehouse is a building in which meat is cured with smoke.
12The likeliest reasons for the fish shrinkage, Westley explained, are warmer seas resulting from climate change and increased competition among all species of salmon.
13Salmon are maturing in the ocean at earlier ages, the study found.
14The salmon return to fresh water at younger ages and smaller sizes than they did in the past.
15In some of Alaska's rivers, the really big fish that spend seven or eight years in the ocean are no longer seen, Westley said.
16Alaska produces nearly all of America's wild salmon.
17Last year, fishermen harvested over 206 million salmon and sold them for $657.6 million, state officials reported.
18Salmon are also an important food for indigenous people of Alaska and Canada's Yukon Territory.
19The reddish fish are also eaten by Alaska's bears and other animals in the wild.
20Smaller fish mean fewer salmon eggs - and fewer calories for those animals.
21That could have long-term effects on the salmon population and the animals that feed on them, said UAF's Krista Oke, the study's lead author.
22The findings show the need to manage salmon not just for the size of their runs but for the size of individual fish, Westley said.
23"If you lose the diversity of fish and only have small fish, then you're in troubled waters," he said.
24I'm John Russell.
1Alaska's salmon - popular among seafood lovers around the world - are getting smaller. Their change in size might be a result of climate change and increased competition, a recent study said. 2The study, led by University of Alaska at Fairbanks (UAF) scientists, found that four of Alaska's five wild salmon species have shrunk in average size over the past sixty years. 3Alaska's official state fish, the Chinook salmon - also known as king salmon - have decreased the most in size. Chinooks are 8 percent smaller, on average, than they were before 1990. 4The study, which appeared recently in the journal Nature Communications, also said Alaska's sockeye, coho and chum salmon are shrinking. The findings are based on data from 12.5 million samples collected over six decades. 5Peter Westley of UAF's College of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences co-wrote the study. It confirms some stories told by Alaskans who have lived in the state for many years, Westley said. "People are walking into their smokehouses and not having to duck anymore...The fish are just smaller." 6A smokehouse is a building in which meat is cured with smoke. 7The likeliest reasons for the fish shrinkage, Westley explained, are warmer seas resulting from climate change and increased competition among all species of salmon. 8Salmon are maturing in the ocean at earlier ages, the study found. The salmon return to fresh water at younger ages and smaller sizes than they did in the past. 9In some of Alaska's rivers, the really big fish that spend seven or eight years in the ocean are no longer seen, Westley said. 10Alaska produces nearly all of America's wild salmon. Last year, fishermen harvested over 206 million salmon and sold them for $657.6 million, state officials reported. Salmon are also an important food for indigenous people of Alaska and Canada's Yukon Territory. 11The reddish fish are also eaten by Alaska's bears and other animals in the wild. Smaller fish mean fewer salmon eggs - and fewer calories for those animals. That could have long-term effects on the salmon population and the animals that feed on them, said UAF's Krista Oke, the study's lead author. 12The findings show the need to manage salmon not just for the size of their runs but for the size of individual fish, Westley said. "If you lose the diversity of fish and only have small fish, then you're in troubled waters," he said. 13I'm John Russell. 14Yereth Rosen reported on this story for Reuters.John Russell adapted it for Learning English. Hai Do was the editor. 15_____________________________________________________________ 16Words in This Story 17species- n. biology : a group of animals or plants that are similar and can produce young animals or plants : a group of related animals or plants that is smaller than a genus 18journal - n. a magazine that reports on things of special interest to a particular group of people 19mature - v. to become mature: such as to become fully developed in the body and mind 20indigenous - adj. produced, living, or existing naturally in a particular region or environment (indigenous people are ethnic groups who are the earliest known people in an area) 21manage - v. to control the movements or actions of (something); to use (something) carefully and without waste