Unhealthy Harvest: How Polluted Fish Undermine Indigenous Health and Food Security

Salmon once inhabited nearly 13,000 miles of the Columbia River and seven species of salmon can be found there (Columbia River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission, n.d.). Due to human activity, an environmental crisis has unfolded in the Columbia River Basin of the Pacific Northwest, affecting these fish- the contamination of waterways with toxic pollutants. Years of industrial and agricultural pollution are the source of this problem, with the main pollutants found in the salmon being mercury and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB). When humans experience prolonged exposure to these substances it can severely damage immune systems, reproductive health, and neurological development.