What is a primary action people take to protect salmon populations?

The action that has the most direct impact on protecting salmon populations is implementing fishing restrictions. This measure controls the amount and timing of fishing to prevent overfishing, which is a significant threat to salmon populations. By limiting how many fish can be caught or the fishing seasons, these restrictions help ensure that salmon populations have the opportunity to reproduce and recover.

While conducting marine research is valuable for understanding salmon biology and ecosystem dynamics, it doesn't directly protect salmon populations in the same way that implementing restrictions does. Building fish ladders is helpful for facilitating salmon migration past obstacles, which can support population stability, but it is not broadly applicable across all regions where salmon are threatened. Improving water quality is crucial for the health of salmon habitats, but without specific actions to regulate fishing, population numbers may continue to decline despite better water conditions.