Climate change affecting fish size: I just saw a piece on the national news about climate change and warming waters are shrinking fish size. They talked about salmon and how salmon...

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mistred64 Loc: Grayslake, illinois

I just saw a piece on the national news about climate change and warming waters are shrinking fish size. They talked about salmon and how salmon spawning is changing because of water temp and better oxygen in the cooler water and its making them smaller. Restaurant owners are saying the salmon fillets they get are smaller than what they got 10 years ago. I'm not a scientist so I don't understand it and can't explain. I briefly looked online and info is out there. They talk about ocean fish, the smaller species are getting smaller, the larger species are getting bigger. By 2100 60% of todays fish won't exist. I'm sure they'll be replaced because that's what nature does. Thought I would throw that out there.

Grizzly 17 Loc: South central Pa

mistred64 wrote:

I just saw a piece on the national news about clim... (show quote)

I wouldn't bet on anything being here by 2100. I'll let you know when I find out 😉😉. Seems like salmon are being hurt by all the dams they are building on some rivers according to A show I watched. That n pollution.

Mauwehu Loc: Norwalk Ct

mistred64 wrote:

I just saw a piece on the national news about clim... (show quote)

Don’t bet against Mother Nature. Remember the gulf oil spill? It was the end of the gulf eco system. A year later between Mother Nature and man with the clean up it was like it never happened.
But I will blame the smaller fish I’ve been catching on Mother Nature!

Grizzly 17 Loc: South central Pa

We can only hope future generations care n understand how to take care of mother earth. Talking about it's one thing doing it is another

Sinker Rig Loc: Tampa area

Grizzly 17 wrote:

We can only hope future generations care n understand how to take care of mother earth. Talking about it's one thing doing it is another

Not sure fish size will be an issue, clean air might be. I believe my penis has gotten smaller......climate change?

Mauwehu Loc: Norwalk Ct

Sinker Rig wrote:

Not sure fish size will be an issue, clean air might be. I believe my penis has gotten smaller......climate change?

Could be. Go camping at 10 below and see what happens.

D Tong Loc: San Francisco,Ca

Going back to the serious side of the matter a has to go to population gain 20,30,40 years ago there was a whole lot less people fishing 🎣 and eating fish 🐠/salmon and with our lack of intelligence and killing the farm raised fry instead of releasing the fingerling in our River systems we are now at a point where the fish 🐠 don’t get a chance to grow big 👎🤬

DCGravity Loc: Fairfax, VA (by way of Cleveland OH)

D Tong wrote:

Going back to the serious side of the matter a has to go to population gain 20,30,40 years ago there was a whole lot less people fishing 🎣 and eating fish 🐠/salmon and with our lack of intelligence and killing the farm raised fry instead of releasing the fingerling in our River systems we are now at a point where the fish 🐠 don’t get a chance to grow big 👎🤬

Agreed. Diminishing fish size seems to only apply here to fish with commercial value, so overfishing's most likely the culprit. Other recent posts here on the stage have highlighted record size fish but they are species not typically harvested commercially.

Pixiedog456005 Loc: Maryland

Other of natures best are getting smaller. White tailed deer, moose and elk as well.

Shutupandfish Loc: Transplanted roots back to Wyoming

mistred64 wrote:

I just saw a piece on the national news about clim... (show quote)

So the gist of what I got from a lecture by a biologist here in th NW is the temperature difference though slight is enough to effect the size of the small life forms the young salmon initially feed on their ocean journey to become big salmon are averaging 1/3 of the normal size, likened it to the growing salmon now gets a tatertot instead of a happy meal. Resulting in smaller adult salmon. And while I’m on the fence about human vs natural earth cycle of climate change I know 10 years ago, without getting into how fewer fish, the same runs 10 years ago we averaged 25-30 lb keepers and 10 years ago my PB at 42 lbs but how much smaller the chinook are. They same guys I fished with back then that wouldn’t keep a fall fish under 25-30 lbs cause we were only allowed two are now calling 14 lbs a “good” fish
Willing to do some personal research and will go try to hook one in the Columbia in the a.m…..oh sacrifices

Wally West Loc: SW Nebraska

From around 1000 AD to around 1450 AD the climate was warm enough that the Vikings were able to farm in Greenland. Then the Little Ice Age set in. The climate is still not warm enough for viable farming in Greenland today. That means the climate is cooler now than it was 1000 years ago!

ripper1a Loc: So Cal

Grizzly 17 wrote:

I wouldn't bet on anything being here by 2100. I'll let you know when I find out 😉😉. Seems like salmon are being hurt by all the dams they are building on some rivers according to A show I watched. That n pollution.

Fish size has been dictated by the damage done by governments building dams, rerouting waterways, some concervationists (Sierra Club), and not responsible dumping of toxic chemicals in running waterways. The last thing is fishing pressure and poaching.

Pixiedog456005 Loc: Maryland

Interesting to say the least. All we can really do is to pray that those in authority are going to make the right decisions.

Paddyj Loc: S E Michigan Lake Erie

I'm not a real believer in "Climate Change", at least what politicians are saying. Climate has been changing on earth since day one and it has not been caused by pollution. We have had Ice Ages and hot spells and they lasted for many years, not just several roll overs in Congress. The Great Lakes were formed by glaciers that lasted for centuries and what is now mostly desert was once a major agricultural area, you have heard of Egypt. Things constantly change, there is a plan that goes way beyond politicians and groups that live off telling us what they want and what we are doing wrong. I'm confident that there will be reversal in the future but by then I will be long gone, as will my children and their children, and no one will remember "global warming" but will probably be concerned with their problems, most likely, "global cooling".

Jakestake83 Loc: Mooresville NC

Climate change is almost as popular a subject as Racism when discussing almost any subject that has been politicized. I wrote an article years ago about the massive fish that are on the walls of northern outfitters, like the Muskies that are 6 feet long, when today if you can find one that is 50 inches long you have a trophy. The answer is simple, there are just more people fishing for these monsters these days and with the additional fishing pressure and somewhat less nutrition in the waters, the fish are just not living as long. You can't find a book about the science of Nature, but you sure can find many that discuss climate change. Nature is making the determinations about what species survive and which ones do not. I believe that Nature has as its motive, Survival of the fittest and in general I think that Nature is doing a fine job.