# Salmon: Is there a reason to not just scoop up salmon that are dying after they spawn? **URL:** \ **Category:** Factual Questions\ **Created:** [November 8, 2024, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salmon-is-there-a-reason-to-not-just-scoop-up-salmon-that-are-dying-after-they-spawn/1009943 "2024-11-08T18:47:31Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Whack-a-Mole](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/whack-a-mole/32/141_2.png) [@Whack-a-Mole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Whack-a-Mole)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2024, 6:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salmon-is-there-a-reason-to-not-just-scoop-up-salmon-that-are-dying-after-they-spawn/1009943/1 "2024-11-08T18:47:31Z")
Bears do it. Why don’t we see lots of people just grabbing dying salmon from a stream after they spawn? It seems a great way to get some fresh salmon. Easy to catch and (presumably) environmentally friendly since they have finished their lifecycle and are dying anyway. Just leave some for the bears. Yet, I never see people doing this (which doesn’t mean they don’t). Why not? ---
**Author:** ![Procrustus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/procrustus/32/2994_2.png) [@Procrustus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Procrustus)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2024, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salmon-is-there-a-reason-to-not-just-scoop-up-salmon-that-are-dying-after-they-spawn/1009943/2 "2024-11-08T18:48:53Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Why don’t we see lots of people just grabbing dying salmon from a stream after they spawn? They’re really not “fresh” at that point in their lifecycle. Their skin is falling off and their meat is pretty gross. Bears don’t care. Humans do. ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2024, 6:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salmon-is-there-a-reason-to-not-just-scoop-up-salmon-that-are-dying-after-they-spawn/1009943/3 "2024-11-08T18:52:07Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > They’re really not “fresh” at that point in their lifecycle. Their skin is falling off and their meat is pretty gross. Bears don’t care. Humans do. This is the answer. By the time a salmon is spawning it has not been in salt water, or feeding, in quite a while. The meat is kinda washed-out. I have had it and “pretty gross” is accurate, along with tough and flavorless. ---
**Author:** ![jnglmassiv](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/f07891/32.png) [@jnglmassiv](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jnglmassiv)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2024, 6:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salmon-is-there-a-reason-to-not-just-scoop-up-salmon-that-are-dying-after-they-spawn/1009943/4 "2024-11-08T18:57:53Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Their skin is falling off and their meat is pretty gross. > [@snowthx](#): > > kinda washed-out … “pretty gross” … tough and flavorless Saves the expense & inconvenience of canning! ---
**Author:** ![Babale](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/babale/32/15666_2.png) [@Babale](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Babale)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2024, 6:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salmon-is-there-a-reason-to-not-just-scoop-up-salmon-that-are-dying-after-they-spawn/1009943/5 "2024-11-08T18:58:29Z")
> [@snowthx](#): > > > [@Procrustus](#): > > > > They’re really not “fresh” at that point in their lifecycle. Their skin is falling off and their meat is pretty gross. Bears don’t care. Humans do. > > This is the answer. By the time a salmon is spawning it has not been in salt water, or feeding, in quite a while. The meat is kinda washed-out. I have had it and “pretty gross” is accurate, along with tough and flavorless Dang. Salmon are really just single-use engines for delivering their own gonads to spawning pools, huh… ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2024, 7:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salmon-is-there-a-reason-to-not-just-scoop-up-salmon-that-are-dying-after-they-spawn/1009943/6 "2024-11-08T19:00:08Z")
> [@Whack-a-Mole](#): > > Just leave some for the bears. The bears are smart enough to grab them downstream while they’re still meaty. Not a good idea for them to find out the humans stay meaty upstream. ---
**Author:** ![Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/13edae/32.png) [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Stranger_On_A_Train)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2024, 7:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salmon-is-there-a-reason-to-not-just-scoop-up-salmon-that-are-dying-after-they-spawn/1009943/7 "2024-11-08T19:31:08Z")
> [@Procrustus](#): > > Their skin is falling off and their meat is pretty gross. Bears don’t care Bears mostly eat the skin and fatty layer, often throwing the carcass with remaining protein and entrails back into the river, where it washes down and serves as nutrients for carrion eaters. The breading cycle of salmon is actually a whole ecology onto itself and is why damming rivers and interrupting the cycle is so devastating. Stranger ---
**Author:** ![Pleonast](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/pleonast/32/1183_2.png) [@Pleonast](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pleonast)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2024, 7:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salmon-is-there-a-reason-to-not-just-scoop-up-salmon-that-are-dying-after-they-spawn/1009943/8 "2024-11-08T19:46:29Z")
> [@jnglmassiv](#): > > > [@Procrustus](#): > > > > Their skin is falling off and their meat is pretty gross. > > > [@snowthx](#): > > > > kinda washed-out … “pretty gross” … tough and flavorless > > Saves the expense & inconvenience of canning! Considering the vile things some people do to fish, there may be a market! > **[Surströmming](https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Surstr%C3%B6mming)** > > Surströmming (.mw-parser-output .IPA-label-small{font-size:85%}.mw-parser-output .references .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .infobox .IPA-label-small,.mw-parser-output .navbox .IPA-label-small{font-size:100%}pronounced \[ˈsʉ̂ːˌʂʈrœmːɪŋ\]; Swedish for 'sour herring') is lightly salted, fermented Baltic Sea herring traditional to Swedish cuisine since at least the 16th century. It is distinct from fried or pickled herring. > The Baltic herring, known as strömming in Swedish, is smaller than the ... ---
**Author:** ![snowthx](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/snowthx/32/10660_2.png) [@snowthx](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/snowthx)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2024, 8:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salmon-is-there-a-reason-to-not-just-scoop-up-salmon-that-are-dying-after-they-spawn/1009943/9 "2024-11-08T20:24:07Z")
I’ll see your Surströmming and raise you… > **[Hákarl](https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/H%C3%A1karl)** > > Hákarl (an abbreviation of kæstur hákarl \[ˈcʰaistʏr ˈhauːˌkʰa(r)tl̥\]), referred to as fermented shark in English, is a national dish of Iceland consisting of Greenland shark or other sleeper shark that has been cured with a particular fermentation process and hung to dry for four to five months. It has a strong ammonia-rich smell and fishy taste, making hákarl an acquired taste. > Fermented shark is readily available in Icelandic stores and may be eaten year-round, but is most often served as pa... ---
**Author:** ![susan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/susan/32/17537_2.png) [@susan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/susan)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2024, 8:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salmon-is-there-a-reason-to-not-just-scoop-up-salmon-that-are-dying-after-they-spawn/1009943/10 "2024-11-08T20:26:46Z")
Bears take a bite out of the belly. If they’re lucky, the get a female with roe. ---
**Author:** ![TriPolar](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/tripolar/32/3008_2.png) [@TriPolar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TriPolar)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2024, 8:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salmon-is-there-a-reason-to-not-just-scoop-up-salmon-that-are-dying-after-they-spawn/1009943/11 "2024-11-08T20:27:54Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > The breading cycle of salmon is actually a whole ecology onto itself I use a common breading mix on fish. No great impact on the ecology I know of. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2024, 8:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salmon-is-there-a-reason-to-not-just-scoop-up-salmon-that-are-dying-after-they-spawn/1009943/12 "2024-11-08T20:29:29Z")
> [@Babale](#): > > Salmon are really just single-use engines for delivering their own gonads to spawning pools, huh… Aren’t we all in a way… ---
**Author:** ![Telemark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/telemark/32/372_2.png) [@Telemark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Telemark)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2024, 8:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salmon-is-there-a-reason-to-not-just-scoop-up-salmon-that-are-dying-after-they-spawn/1009943/13 "2024-11-08T20:43:19Z")
> [@Folly](#): > > Aren’t we all in a way… Which spawning pools are you visiting? ---
**Author:** ![HoneyBadgerDC](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/honeybadgerdc/32/1033_2.png) [@HoneyBadgerDC](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HoneyBadgerDC)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2024, 8:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salmon-is-there-a-reason-to-not-just-scoop-up-salmon-that-are-dying-after-they-spawn/1009943/14 "2024-11-08T20:54:17Z")
Even the surrounding forest benefits from the salmon runs. > [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > The breading cycle of salmon is actually a whole ecology onto itself and is why damming rivers and interrupting the cycle is so devastating. ---
**Author:** ![Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/qadgop_the_mercotan/32/83_2.png) [@Qadgop\_the\_Mercotan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Qadgop_the_Mercotan)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2024, 9:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salmon-is-there-a-reason-to-not-just-scoop-up-salmon-that-are-dying-after-they-spawn/1009943/15 "2024-11-08T21:27:01Z")
> [@Stranger\_On\_A\_Train](#): > > The breading cycle of salmon is actually a whole ecology onto itself Corn meal or wheat flour for the breading? Beer batter? Yeah, spawning salmon (with their flesh and organs decaying more by the minute) are closer to zombies than about any other medium to large animal, IMHO. ---
**Author:** ![Folly](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/folly/32/3219_2.png) [@Folly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Folly)\ **Post date:** [November 8, 2024, 11:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salmon-is-there-a-reason-to-not-just-scoop-up-salmon-that-are-dying-after-they-spawn/1009943/16 "2024-11-08T23:08:14Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Which spawning pools are you visiting? Used to call them watering holes. ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2024, 12:14am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salmon-is-there-a-reason-to-not-just-scoop-up-salmon-that-are-dying-after-they-spawn/1009943/17 "2024-11-09T00:14:09Z")
The reason to leave the dead fish in the creek is because it is the natural way. It will feed the microbes and small insects in the stream so that when the new salmon hatch, they will hatch into a healthy environment. Other animals may drag the dead fish into the forest adding marine nutrient back to the forest. Removing the dead fish is a bad idea from several different angles. ---
**Author:** ![Voyager](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/voyager/32/133_2.png) [@Voyager](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Voyager)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2024, 5:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salmon-is-there-a-reason-to-not-just-scoop-up-salmon-that-are-dying-after-they-spawn/1009943/18 "2024-11-09T17:58:15Z")
> [@Telemark](#): > > Which spawning pools are you visiting? I’ve been to the pools at Vegas casinos … ---
**Author:** ![Dallas\_Jones](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dallas_jones/32/3277_2.png) [@Dallas\_Jones](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dallas_Jones)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2024, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salmon-is-there-a-reason-to-not-just-scoop-up-salmon-that-are-dying-after-they-spawn/1009943/19 "2024-11-09T21:18:39Z")
A little more info now that I have more time than yesterday. I worked in the feed industry supplying food for salmon and trout hatcheries for about 30 years. The standard practice at the time was the returning salmon came back to the hatcheries, were spawned by hand and the eggs collected. The spawned fish and the other excess fish were killed. Our trucks would bring back totes full of dead fish after delivering feed. We also had reduction plant capabilities so we could just turn the dead fish into fish meal, think fish flour. It became clear that this was creating a sterile stream. Many options were tried. Volunteers would pack the dead, smelly fish back down stream, nobody liked that, then they could freeze the carcasses, that worked for a while but freezers are expensive and a person could only pack a few frozen salmon. Later idea was to dry the salmon and turn the meal into bricketts. So that a worker could pack 100 salmon bricketts and re-seed the creek or even be seeded by airplanes. That never became profitable. I have been away from the business for another 30 years. I beleive the current practice is to return any live fish to the lower part of the river or stream and let them try again. Fishermen may catch them or the fish may die. The whole point is that removing the dead fish is a bad idea. A case of well meaning humans trying to do good, but actually doing bad. I do not know what the current hatchery practices regarding spawned salmon are, But the nutrients from the dead fish are very important to the stream, and the forest next to the stream. Unmanaged rivers and streams in places like Alaska that no one is bothering the clean up the dead fish out of are thriving. ---
**Author:** ![Dewey\_Finn](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/dewey_finn/32/4222_2.png) [@Dewey\_Finn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dewey_Finn)\ **Post date:** [November 9, 2024, 9:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salmon-is-there-a-reason-to-not-just-scoop-up-salmon-that-are-dying-after-they-spawn/1009943/20 "2024-11-09T21:26:06Z")
> [@Dallas\_Jones](#): > > The standard practice at the time was the returning salmon came back to the hatcheries, were spawned by hand and the eggs collected. Dumb question; do the fish spawn only once in a lifetime? Or if the egg collection method is careful enough, can they be harvested again from the same fish? [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/salmon-is-there-a-reason-to-not-just-scoop-up-salmon-that-are-dying-after-they-spawn/1009943.md?page=2)