SAN FRANCISCO, Aug. 30 /PRNewswire/ -- Raising awareness of the plight of wild salmon, SalmonAID—a coalition of fishermen, conservation organizations, chefs and first nation tribes—presents Salmon Month at Aquarium of the Bay.  Salmon Month opens on September 1 and includes storytelling by Native Americans, film screenings, children's activities and a free outdoor festival.  The full Salmon Month schedule is available at www.salmonaid.org.

"Twenty-six populations of Pacific salmon are endangered across the west coast," states Jon Rosenfield, SalmonAID president and conservation biologist with The Bay Institute. "These fish are hardy and adaptable. If they cannot thrive in our rivers and estuaries, then we've done some serious damage, and that's bad news for people, too."

Wild salmon—Chinook, coho, sockeye, chum, pink salmon and steelhead trout—once populated nearly every coastal river or stream from southern California to Alaska, migrating out to the Pacific Ocean and back again. They have made headlines in recent years for staggering population declines, primarily due to large-scale water diversions and misguided dam operations. In the San Francisco Bay watershed alone, nine of 10 of the largest tributary rivers are blocked by large storage dams, limiting access for salmon to spawn.

Throughout September, SalmonAID partner organizations will be onsite at Aquarium of the Bay, providing information on wild salmon and what the public can do to protect them. One major recommendation is to avoid consuming farmed salmon, which have higher levels of dioxins and PCBs, and spread parasites to nearby wild salmon. Salmon Month exhibits will chronicle the integral role salmon play in tribal and fishing communities all along our coast. Maps showing where salmon migration and spawning can be seen throughout the Bay Area and central California will also be available, thanks to collaboration between The Bay Institute, SalmonAID and The Nature Conservancy.

"The Bay Institute has played a major role in securing endangered species protections for Chinook salmon, so we are pleased to host this event at our affiliate, Aquarium of the Bay," stated John Frawley, president and CEO of The Bay Institute. "The Aquarium is the perfect venue to inspire the public to take part in protecting wild salmon."

For additional information or to purchase tickets visit www.salmonaid.org or www.aquariumofthebay.org.

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John Frawley

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SOURCE SalmonAID

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RELATED LINKS
http://www.salmonaid.org
http://www.aquariumofthebay.org