In the Heatwave, Rivers Boil... Salmon Coming to Spawn End Up Cooking to Death

Slowed River, Rising Water Temperature Due to Heatwave... Endangered Salmon Schools
Mold Infection, Burns, Flesh Damage Leave Them in a Pitiful State
"Like Running a Marathon in 38-Degree Conditions"

A school of salmon swimming in the Columbia River. The flesh is damaged. / Photo by Columbia Riverkeeper

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Juhyung] Amid an unprecedented heatwave sweeping across the globe, a shocking discovery has been made of salmon "cooking alive" in a U.S. river. The slowing of the river's current due to nearby development, combined with abnormally high temperatures, has created an environment where salmon cannot survive.

According to reports from overseas media such as the New York Post and The Guardian, the environmental protection group "Columbia Riverkeeper" recently released photos of salmon swimming in the Columbia River in the United States.

These salmon are individuals swimming upstream from the Pacific Ocean to spawn in the Columbia River, with their skin appearing cooked and flesh damaged in various places.

According to the group, the reason the salmon are injured is due to abnormally high water temperatures. On the day the footage was taken, the river temperature exceeded 21 degrees Celsius, a fatal level for salmon. According to the U.S. Clean Water Act, the temperature of the Columbia River should not exceed 20 degrees Celsius.

Salmon forced to swim in hot water suffer from fungal infections causing inflammation, and their skin swells. Prolonged exposure to such river water can cause burns that may lead to death.

A salmon swimming in the hot river water eventually suffocated. / Photo by Columbia Riverkeeper

Regarding this, the group explained, "The salmon abruptly changed their usual route to the Columbia River to escape, like fleeing a burning building," adding, "It's like running a marathon at 38 degrees Celsius for a human."

They continued, "The difference is that for salmon, this is not exercise," emphasizing, "They have no freedom of choice."

The Columbia River originates in British Columbia, Canada, and flows southward through Washington State in the U.S. The recent surge in the river's temperature is due to decades of dam construction and other developments that have slowed the river's flow. On top of this, the recent heatwave has created an environment where living organisms struggle to survive.

Brett VandenHeuvel of Columbia Riverkeeper warned, "It is premature to estimate how many salmon will die due to the hot river water," but added, "Hundreds of thousands of salmon remain in the Columbia and Lower Snake Rivers, and if the water remains hot for more than two months, more salmon could die."

He further explained, "The sockeye salmon in the Lower Snake River are already classified as endangered," and noted, "Even if only some salmon die, it could be fatal to the salmon ecosystem."

This content was produced with the assistance of AI translation services.