Ushering in the Return of the King: The History and Future of Atlantic Salmon in Lake Ontario

By: Andrew Orlando, Habitat Technician, Ontario Streams
Known to some as the “King of Fish”, the Atlantic Salmon (Salmo salar) has one of the most storied histories across the Atlantic Ocean. Recently however, this history has not been entirely positive. Utilized as a food source for thousands of years, human induced pressures on the fish have only increased over the years to the extent that Atlantic Salmon are now one of the most heavily regulated fish in the world. Believed to have colonized Lake Ontario during the last post-glacial period when the lake was easily accessible by sea, historic populations adjusted to freshwater life. By 1896 however, they were declared to be extirpated (locally extinct) and thus began early recovery efforts.

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