Newfoundland and Labrador Opinion

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COMMENTARY: The fish that binds us: Why the Atlantic salmon deserves to be our shared regional emblem

We have provincial flowers, birds, and trees. We have tartans, gems, and fossils. But ask any Maritimer or Newfoundlander what living creature best represents the soul of this region, and you will get four different answers. That is our strength — and our missed opportunity. Because while we celebrate what makes us different, we have forgotten to honour what makes us one.

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Atlantic Canada is defined by water. By rivers that carve through ancient forests. By estuaries that pulse with the world’s highest tides. By an ocean that has fed, shaped, and tested us for millennia. Yet our official emblems celebrate provincial distinction, not regional unity.

The Atlantic salmon should be adopted as the shared emblem of Atlantic Canada. It tells a story no other species can — one of connection, resilience, and common heritage. It is not just a fish. It is us.

Why the salmon? No others compare

Consider the alternatives.

Our provincial birds, flowers and mammals are beloved but not uniquely Atlantic — they appear across North America. None are uniquely Atlantic in their core distribution. None appear across all four provinces in a meaningful way. None carry the weight of our shared history and our shared future while also capturing our imagination.

The sea turtle is easily recognizable and culturally important to some Indigenous nations but lives only in oceanic waters. The eel, while ecologically remarkable and also culturally important to some Indigenous groups, lacks the charisma and broad public appeal that an emblem demands.

The salmon is different. It is ours.

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