Much of my time working as a salmon aquaculture campaigner is spent in an office, on the computer or the phone, interspersed with large indoor meetings and presentations. Yesterday was different. Yesterday I had the pleasure of joining the Get Out Migration, an incredible grassroots initiative spawned by scientist Alexandra Morton.
I couldn’t contain my excitement as we left the dock in Campbell River. We were about to join up with the Migration in the Wild Salmon Narrows, a migratory corridor CAAR has been working to clear of open net-cage salmon farms. Our little crew of three people met up with another half dozen boats as we reached the first three farms packed together at the west end of Okisollo Channel.
A helicopter buzzed overhead as Michelle Nickerson plunged into the freezing water and twice swam the length of Mainstream’s Venture Pt. salmon farm. This was a symbolic gesture for juvenile salmon that are migrating past the lice infested farms at this very moment. People are embracing this journey by land and sea from Sointula to Victoria and celebrating wild salmon in any way they know how; through art, song, community gatherings, filmmaking, blogging, photography, taking to the water and streets, and even swimming past a salmon farm.
But our day wasn’t over, it had only just begun. As we came to the Oksillo rapids, it was clear that this was a day of celebration, as several boats played around in the area’s upwelling nutrient rich water so vital to wild salmon. We then followed Okisollo Channel as it turns south, where we saw the devastation under the Cyrus Rocks farm with an underwater video camera, and the mood became more solemn.
As we moved south through Surge Narrows, spirits once again soared as we joined up with another flotilla, swelling our number of boats to a couple dozen, salmon flags flapping in the wind, horns honking, people cheering for wild salmon, and the helicopter once again recording the excitement from above.
The Get Out Migration has captured the imagination and hearts of communities across Vancouver Island and throughout BC. Yesterday it was evident that the Migration’s tag line, wild salmon are sacred, is at the heart of our west coast culture. Whatever people have in them to give, we are giving it all for wild salmon. We have to, or they will disappear. So stand up and be counted, because if we don’t stand up for wild salmon, no one will.
Filmmaker Twyla Roscovich has produced a video of our day on the water in the Wild Salmon Narrows. Enjoy…
Take urgent action to clear the Wild Salmon Narrows of open net-cage salmon farms!
Tags: wild salmon, wild salmon narrows
Thanks for the blog Michelle.
I was there, in Victoria yesterday and it was amazing how many people came out. I am very disappointed to see how little it made the news, but I also hope to see more coverage tommorow…
I saw in todays paper that a new-born killer whale calf washed up on the shoreline near Sooke, 2 grey whales have recently been spotted in False CREEK and Howe Sound and for the first time in my life coming off the ferry from Victoria to Tswassen today I saw a dead seal washed up right by the ferry terminal.
Whats going on?? Are ALL the fish gone from our oceans? I know there are grizzlies and eagles and whales starving, have we gone beyond the tipping point? Im very worried and hope its not too late for our negligent government to take some action. Im scared for my kids and this messed up world that still literally swims in oil!! Yikes.
I am so sorry – what you have seen is so sad – you make a good observation – apparently we are tipping.
http://news.yahoo.com/s/afp/20100510/ts_afp/unenvironmentbiodiversityeconomy
from the above link:
GENEVA (AFP) – The UN warned on Monday that “massive” loss in life-sustaining natural environments was likely to deepen to the point of being irreversible after global targets to cut the decline by this year were missed.
“This report is saying that we are reaching the tipping point where the irreversible damage to the planet is going to be done unless we act urgently,” Ahmed Djoghlaf, executive secretary of the UN Convention on Biological Diversity, told journalists.
I’m pretty sure the unscrupled entity that lives for generations (capitalist corporations) will demand that scientific proof of responsibility for the demise of our planet.
Don’t lose hope. I read a very good article on how we can adjust ourselves to this reality (and perhaps survive) I’ll find and post it here.
This is an interesting article that examines how we think about the environment:
http://www.orionmagazine.org/index.php/articles/article/233/
I’m sorry I can’t find the article on how trees clean the air and water and how we all must plant trees if we are to make any difference for the ocean – it’s a good idea.
Right now there is new Federal Environmental Act being reviewed for public comment. It takes quite a bit of time to read (that is what I am doing now) There is lots of room to question the policy on ocean management. The next time I’ll bring that link and post it here.
thanks for this blog – I liked sending the fax on your things to do page.