Inside Passage Kayaking Expedition encourages all to, “Go Wild” for Wild Salmon
Apryle Craig and Phil Magistro will be embarking on a sea kayaking expedition along the British Columbia coast to examine and document the effects of salmon farming on the environment and coastal communities.
The “Go Wild” Expedition, named such in support of wild salmon, will follow the historical Inside Passage route, starting in Gig Harbor, Washington, continuing north along the British Columbia coast, and concluding in the glacial waters of Alaska. Their four-month-long journey will begin May 5, 2009 and cover over 1,280 miles using only human-power.
Throughout the trip, they will be examining the issues that are thought by the scientific community to be contributing to the localized extinction of pink and chum salmon, specifically open-net farming of non-native Atlantic salmon. Craig and Magistro will report their findings to Living Ocean Society (LOS) as a part of “The Eyes and Ears of the Coast” project. This project encourages the coastal community to observe the conduct of fish farming in the area and report any suspected unethical or illegal behavior to LOS.
As part of their investigation, Craig and Magistro are making plans to:
- Document the salmon farms and surrounding environment through photography, videography, and written reports.
- Attend a salmon farm tour.
- Interview First Nations and Canadian residents from various industries along the route regarding their knowledge about and stance on salmon farming.
- Actively participate in salmon research.
- Promote sustainable seafood choices and encourage people to “Go Wild,” by supporting sustainable fishing and ocean-use practices.
- Build awareness for “The Eyes and Ears of the Coast” program and encourage the coastal community to participate.
- Educate the community about the threatened state of pink and chum salmon.
- Raise donations for Living Oceans Society with funds going towards the preservation of the magnificent coastal environment.
The “Go Wild” Expedition is seeking equipment sponsors and monetary donations. All donations benefit Living Oceans Society. The “Go Wild” Expedition is scheduling post-expedition slideshows and presentations for fall 2009. For more information, contact Apryle Craig at 970.586.9147 or PhilandApryle@ElevatedAttitude.com, or visit the “Go Wild” Expedition online at www.ElevatedAttitude.com.
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2 comments
I’ve spent many wonderful summers paddling in the Broughton Archipelago and have been saddened to watch the progress of salmon aquaculture in the region. I live on Salt Spring island where we unsuccessfully lobbied against Sablefin Hatcheries five years ago when they built a land-based black cod hatchery. In the process of construction Sablefin disturbed and destroyed humans remains interred in the adjacent tumbolo which was occupied by local First Nations for hundreds if not thousands of years. In addition to being a scared burial place the tumbolo was the fifth largest archaeological site in the Gulf Islands, and is designated a sensitive ecosystem supporting many endangered plant and animal species (see http://www.savewalkerhook.com). Sablefin now sends black cod smolts to the Broughtons though none have survived as of yet. You should plan to camp on Walker Hook tombolo and your journey north as it is a beautiful, porotected, sand beach. Just don’t walk above the high tide line or the Sablefin folks may have you arrested.
Kris, thank you for the tips and for sharing your observations! We’ll check out Walker Hook. Might be tough to time our camping so as not to correspond with high tide. Our rough itinerary does not have tombolo marked, but we will put it on our map. (We were planning stops at Prevost and Reed Islands). Thanks again for the heads-up on this unique spot! We should be paddling through Salt Spring Island area May 16th-18th. Maybe we’ll see you on the water!
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