The City of Lights and, Once Again, of Salmon

Actions taken over recent years to reverse more than a century's worth of water quality deterioration in the city's iconic River Seine are paying off. Unannounced, but welcomed enthusiastically upon arrival, is the Atlantic salmon, returning to Paris in numbers not seen in a hundred years.

A combination of nutrient runoff from agriculture and industrial wastewater turned conditions in the Seine completely inhospitable to all but a small handful of stalwart species. As recently as 1995, only five fish species could be found in Paris. Following wide-reaching and targeted initiatives to improve the river's water quality, including a new water purification plant, today more than 30 species may be found.

But the salmon, and especially the strength of their numbers — possibly upwards of 1,000 — are cause for celebration, especially those who are working to conserve the Atlantic salmon, a species mostly under newsworthy duress.

In writing to National Geographic, Sue Scott of the Atlantic Salmon Federation in New Brunswick, Canada, reflects with hope and excitement on the development:

"It is a great surprise to have the [Parisian] run of wild Atlantic salmon bump up so noticeably. Especially since France is in the Atlantic salmon's southern range, where they are in the most decline. This gives hope to the endangered [North American] populations in southern Canada and in Maine and Connecticut."

Closer to the occurrence, scientists at the National Institute for Agricultural Research in Paris are keen to point to the salmon as a primary indicator species for reflecting how well a river system is really doing as a viable ecosystem.

And while it's a bit too early to add a fresh new item to the specials boards of the city's countless and famed fine eateries, involved parties envision the return of a viable fishery in the Seine that only a decade ago was unimaginable.

Photo courtesy of Lazulilasher, via Wikimedia Commons