"I saw my first salmon run in 1971 in a small stream north of Juneau in Alaska. I'd read about these runs before, but nothing could have prepared me for the sight of a stream blushed pink by thousands of salmon struggling valiantly to reach the particular patch of gravel where they'd first begun their lives." - Robert H. Busch The annual migration of salmon is one of the Pacific Northwest's greatest wildlife wonders. Each year thousands of tourists crowd into British Columbia's Adams River valley to watch as the sockeye return to their spawning grounds. But what was once a plentiful resource is now becoming an endangered species. The Pacific salmon industry is in trouble. Politicians, Natives and fishers on the West Coast fight over the rights to what's left of the once-rich fishing industry. The increased attention has forced the government to try and save what's left of the salmon industry. It remains to be seen if it will be too late. In Salmon Country, Robert Busch, a dedicated naturalist, has produced an intriguing account of the natural history of the Pacific salmon and the state of today's fisheries industry. Busch examines the tragic decline of salmon stocks due to factors such as overfishing, habitat loss, climate change, fisheries mismanagement, and a dozen other interconnected factors. Salmon Country also features a full survey of salmon biology including topics such as: - evolution - habitat - salmon life cycle - migration patterns Salmon Country is a heartfelt testament to the natural beauty of the salmon and their significance to our world. Busch eloquently speaks to the mostly man-made dangers that threaten the future of the salmon industry today. (2000)

Robert H. Busch is the author of eight books on natural history, including The Wolf Almanac, a best-selling selection of the Natural Science Book Club, and The Cougar Almanac. His magazine writing has appeared in many national and international magazines and has been included in the Grolier 1998 Anthology of Best Science Writing. He lives in grizzly country in central British Columbia.

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