Have a lot of respect for the Salmon

Stepping out onto the porch in the morning I take a deep breath of the crisp air and the scent is of spicy wood and rotting Salmon.

2010 will be a year to remember for the largest Salmon run in years, many years.

Last week the little dog Mateo and I took a drive to the Kingfisher Interpretive Center to see the Salmon on the Shuswap River. In one of my past lifetimes I spent many hours mended gill nets that caught Salmon. Last week was the first time I had seen the Salmon in the rivers at the end of there lives, in such great quantities. The smell is over powering from the river, and I hear so many people exclaiming how they have never seen anything like it, so many dead Salmon. My emotions were confused as to how to feel seeing all these fish dead or soon to be dead.  

This fish has a tag on it

Death is life and I turned my emotions to the beauty of the river and the forest that surrounds it. As we walked the trails the smell of decay was ever present but the trees smelled so good. Mateo loved walking the trails but was spooked by the tents with sleeping bags inside and boots placed by the entrances. He would not walk past them. I was grateful he didn't do a dog roll in any of the rotting fish!

By the way, if you think rotting Salmon smell bad you have never smelled a rotting stare fish. But that is another story.



The tents were protected under this building




A heart rock took my focus away from the death of the fish



Most people have a great deal of respect for the Salmon. You can see all around us, with towns like Salmon Arm, roads called Old Salmon Arm. Salmon adorns our streets in sculpture, on banners, in paintings, as address signs to name a few. Salmon are a large part of the ecosystem and if the Salmon were to disappear what would the bears eat, or all the other creatures that depend on the Salmon returning year after year?

Along with respect there is disrespect. Norwegian companies are farming fish in Canadian waters. These fish farms, are killing all life around them, and the young salmon that pass by are infested with lice. Are these fish farms the reason the Salmon have been in decline for so many years? And why is this year different?

Please check out this web site and sign the petition that will help the salmon. Alexandra Morton is a hero to the fish and to me.

Respect all creatures.

Thank you

 http://www.salmonaresacred.org/about-alexandra-morton