There are only 1.5M Atlantic salmon left in the world. And despite putting an end to commercial fishing, their numbers continue to dwindle. As a keystone species, the implications of their loss go far beyond not being able to order salmon for dinner. So, why are Atlantic salmon disappearing at such an alarming rate? What does their loss mean for other species? And how does it impact the rivers where they live?

Mark Kurlansky is a New York Times bestselling and James A. Beard award-winning author with a knack for seeing the broader implications of seemingly little things. He has written 33 books in all, including The Big Oyster: History on the Half Shell, Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World and most recently, Salmon: A Fish, the Earth, and the History of Their Common Fate. His forthcoming book, The Unreasonable Virtue of Fly Fishing is due out in March of 2021.

On this episode of the podcast, Mark joins Ross to share what inspired him to choose salmon as the topic of his most recent book and explain why climate change is catastrophic for the fish. He weighs in on the problems with salmon farming (be it inland or on the water) and discusses why hatcheries are not a viable way to enhance the salmon population. Listen in for Mark’s insight on how the disappearance of Atlantic salmon will impact other species and learn how to be a conscious consumer of the popular fish.

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Resources:

Mark Kurlansky’s Website

Salmon: A Fish, the Earth, and the History of Their Common Fate by Mark Kurlansky

Cod: A Biography of the Fish That Changed the World by Mark Kurlansky

Salt: A World History by Mark Kurlansky

Paper: Paging Through History by Mark Kurlansky

The Basque History of the World: The Story of a Nation by Mark Kurlansky

A River Runs Through It by Norman Maclean