Friday, June 21, 7pm, SSI Library
Hooked for Life: A Story of Herring in the Salish Sea
Salt Spring Author/Artist/Naturalist Briony Penn with special guest Eric Pelkey, hereditary chief of Tsawout First Nation, will present: Hooked for Life: A Story of Herring in the Salish Sea
Celebrating Indigenous Peoples Weekend on Salt Spring Island!
Through personal insight, family involvement, first nations and fishing history, Briony and Eric will reveal the amazing life history of Salish Sea herring, their cultural importance, and how we can save and renew herring populations and the multitude of food webs that rely on them. For generations, the family of Eric Pelkey, W̱IĆKINEM, have been leading the fight to HELIT TŦE SȽOṈ,ET (Let the Herring Live).
Herring were the key marine diet for this region and they have been wiped out by the commercial fishery. DFO has an obligation to help fund the restoration of these stocks. There are severe diseases such as biliary chongolitis that disproportionately affect coastal indigenous women due to lack of oils from these very special little omega-three-laden forage fish in their diet.
The presentation will also feature the short film - The Silver Highway. Please join us at the Library for this special event. The presentation is FREE. Donations to the Stqeeye’ Learning Society welcome.
Briony Penn is a fifth-generation islander who witnessed the extirpation of resident herring spawns from overfishing in her home harbour of Fulford in the 80s. Through her work as a naturalist on the coast, an educator in both university and community classrooms and an author and illustrator of award-winning books about the coast and its custodians, she has spoken out against the commercial herring fishery and fish farms for over 30 years. “The only way to stop the silent spring of the coast is to restore herring populations back to the levels that existed prior to colonization.”
Eric Pelkey is Hereditary Chief Tsawout First Nation and cultural outreach for the W̱SÁNEĆ Leadership Council. During his career, he has held the roles of Band Manager, Chief Executive Officer, Director of Operations as well as Lands Manager.
He was Coordinator for the SENĆOŦEN Alliance, representing Tsawout, Tsartlip, Pauquachin and Semiahmoo Nations on common Aboriginal and Douglas Treaty Rights and Title issues, a position he held for four years.
Dedicated to preserving herring populations and their vital role in the marine ecosystem, the Herring Conservation and Restoration Society strives to foster open, respectful, and timely conversations about herring conservation and restoration.