Framed Art Card - The Return (Salmon)
Since time immemorial, my people have relied upon the return of the salmon for sustenance. Being anadromous fish, salmon begin their life cycle in rivers and streams. After growing in nearby lakes, they begin their long journey out to sea. Amazingly, after countless thousands of miles of travel, they find their way back to the river of their birth. Particularly striking are the sockeye who transform into a brilliant crimson red upon entering freshwater. Struggling upriver, their dying gasps allow them to spawn and continue their life cycle in a new generation. The return is complete.
Unfortunately, this return is getting more and more scarce in a number of rivers throughout our territory. Some say this is due to overfishing before the salmon even re-enter British Columbian waters. Others say it is due to zealous over-logging along the coast that destroy spawning beds and delicate river ecosystems.
Still others say that our salmon return is being decimated by the presence of open net-cage fish farms. It is from these fish farms that parasites such as sea lice are able to attack and destroy passing wild salmon. Waste and chemicals released from these massive farms further exacerbate these problems. In order to ensure that salmon continue to return to the rivers, we must object to all of these unsustainable practices!
(9" x 12")
