Last year the salmon run in British Columbia's Fraser River was a dismal 1.5 million fish. That may not sound bad, but it had everyone involved with the salmon stocks from fishers to government fisheries officials very worried. This year? A startling 30 million, which is 20 times last year. This massive run caught everyone totally unprepared. It will be the largest run since 1913, or nearly a century. Anything that vaguely passes for a fishing boat is trying to cash in on the bonanza and officials are concerned that the river and its tributaries will be so clogged with fish that spawning won't be possible. What an amazing reversal of fortune.
I think this is wonderful. We hear too many stories of disappearing fish populations in areas of our country where we once assumed they were inexhaustible. It's not just humans who will benefit. So many creatures, including bears, depend on the salmon runs to fatten up for the winter, and there is strong evidence that the leftovers strewn along riverbanks serve as fertilizer for plants and trees. But this salmon run is a reminder that despite years of research and supposed management we don't have a clue about what makes many critters tick. Where do the salmon go, and how is it possible that there is such a huge turnaround?
There is still so much to learn about ecosystems that a little humility would help. In the biblical creation story God creates Adam, Humus or Earth Man, who is instructed along with his partner Eve not to get too big for their fig leaves. Humility. Without it we promote ourselves to god-like status, and that just isn't working out all that well.
Any comments?
1 comment:
That is excellent news about the salmon. I only hope that we don't get complacent, overfish the species, and end up creating problems.
I'm glad you mentioned about the bears. We need to remember that these food sources are to be shared; it's not just for humans. It's one of the reasons why, when I travel for work in the Sudbury area this time of year, I resist buying wild blueberries from the dozens of roadside vendors. The berries are great, but with so much picking, is it to the detriment of wildlife?
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