Salmon makes a splash in official fish derby
By Miro Cernetig, Vancouver Sun March 2, 2009
The idea of making the salmon our official provincial fish, which I suggested in a column a few days ago, is getting some notable support. B.C.'s former lieutenant-governor, Iona Campagnolo, is now campaigning to make salmon the province's symbol.
She is asking British Columbians to write letters in support of the idea. And Campagnolo plans to push the provincial government to make the legislative changes to make it happen.
At the moment, British Columbia has an official flower, the dogwood, an official tree, the western red cedar, an official bird, the Steller's jay, and more recently, an official mammal, the kermode bear, or spirit bear.
But no fish.
The former lieutenant-governor, who loves salmon, says it's time to rectify that oversight and recognize the great fish's iconic status.
She notes there are five official species of salmon -- chinook, sockeye, coho, keta (chum or dog salmon), the pink or humpback -- plus the steelheed, a "late-comer to official onchrynchus species designation.
"Together they are B.C. salmon and many of us believe the time has come for them to be granted official iconic status, joining the other official symbols of our province...."
Why is it a good idea? Simple really. Salmon are a tie to the province's history and an indicator of the province's future environmental health. As go the salmon, so go our rivers, and grizzlies and orcas.
Salmon are also a unique icon in B.C. Interest in the fish crosses cultures and generations. They hit a chord.
It isn't just the former lieutenant-governor who thinks salmon deserve official status. After writing the column about elevating salmon to the official fish, I was deluged by letters and e-mails.
This was from Chris, a first nations high school student who gave only his first name in an e-mail: "I am a first nations. I have learned a lot about salmon in the past, and have a lot of respect for the salmon.
"I am a fisherman," he continued. "But I will not fish for salmon for a long time because they are disappearing, as you say in your article."
This from Jo Ledingham, of Belcarra: "With Premier Campbell and cohorts touting the B.C. tourist industry, we can only imagine what tourism might look like without killer whales, bald eagles and bears for all those tourists to look at. These are all dependent on healthy salmon runs and probably represent the Big Three for B.C. coast wildlife viewing."
And this from Ken Huang, a not so new "new" Canadian, worried about the salmon being fished out in the Pacific, before they can make it back to our province's rivers to spawn: "I went back to Taipei five years ago and for the first time in my life I saw sockeye chunks selling in Taipei supermarkets.
"It bothered me a lot, since the fresh salmon sold there is none other than those we hatch and raise here in Pacific Canada and are intercepted and harvested -- illegally, I hope -- while making their migrating circle around the far eastern Asian country coasts.
"This reminds of the fact that about 35 years ago when I visited home in Taipei for the first time after I became a Canadian citizen, the most treasured gift I brought back in dry ice, seal-packed was a sockeye salmon. If the Canadian government does nothing to stop this salmon poaching elsewhere, I would not be surprised to see our salmon stock keep dwindling and pretty soon we will see 'Smoked Salmon made in Taiwan' or it could be any other countries in the region."
There are dozens more such letters, all worthy of being heard. The point is the plight of the salmon is a subject that unifies this province. Salmon should be made our official fish for 2010.
mcernetig@vancouversun.com
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