People in this area, the whole northwest of
the country, are absolutely fascinated – no, better “obsessed” – by salmon. And
it’s not really hard to understand. Salmon dominate the ecosystem – from environmentalism
and agriculture to arts and business – these creatures are the talk of the
town, and its bosses too. Now, let’s be clear as well: “salmon” does not refer
to a single unique breed of fish; heck, only since moving to greater Seattle
last year did I learn that there are no less than seventeen variety of salmon inhabiting the rivers, inlets and
tributaries of the Puget sound alone! Coho, Sockeye, Chinook, Chum, Pink, and
on and on…
Visiting the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery today
(www.issaquahfish.org) just days
before the annual Issaquah Salmon Days Festival – yes, this is really a thing,
and it’s a really big thing; go to www.salmondays.org
– I was delighted to witness zillions of these extra-large aquatic dudes
(mainly Coho, which are bred at the hatchery) hanging out, doing their thing,
putting on a show. Watching them in the Issaquah Creek, and trying to jump into
and over the mini locks that are part of the hatchery, I am reminded of our long-standing
and necessary, connection to the natural world. I am certainly no angler; as a
matter of fact, I can’t even eat salmon without getting ill (the mere smell of
it gets to me). And yet, observing part of its natural life-cycle, and knowing
how vital it is to the life of this region, clearly demonstrates something very
primal about our historic human symbiosis with the other living things that
make up our earth’s system. Unfortunately of course this is something we often
overlook.
So these coming days, our little town will
be caught up in celebrating the indigenous water-bound master – there will be
food and music, arts & crafts galore (how many salmon earrings, statues,
batiks, paintings, sculptures and t-shirts does ANYONE really need?), and
educational programs on the mating habits of Oncorhynchus kisutch. Our two kids will play in the high school
marching band as part of the parade. And I will be there to cheer them on, and
to praise the mighty salmon.
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