Kamchatka, Russia | Where the Salmon Rule, National Geographic Magazine: Storm Clouds Over Kamchatka

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Dark storm clouds form over western Kamchatka. The Sea of Okhotsk to the west of Kamchatka is the coldest body of water in the Pacific Rim. Volcanic under currents create nutrient-rich upwellings, and the perfect marine environment for salmon. The western shelf of Kamchatka accounts for 30 percent of production and 40 percent of all income from all the fisheries in Russia. The middle range (above) is a weather maker, keeping the western part of Kamchatka wet with rain and the west coast full of wetlands.  The wetlands have massive insect production, which is the food salmon eat.