Why is fish migration important?
Every year, millions of fish— salmon, steelhead trout, shad, alewives, and sturgeon, among others—migrate to their native habitats to reproduce. Some fish need to swim thousands of miles through oceans and rivers to reach their destination. They are often blocked from completing their journey by engineered barriers, such as dams and culverts. When fish can’t reach their habitat, they can’t reproduce and build their populations.