Two years ago to the day I did a post about the herring fishery. If you are interested you can find it here. https://wordsfromanneli.com/2017/03/08/herring-time/
At that time a fisherman lost his life working in this dangerous job.
However, the fishery goes on. The pressure is on the fishermen to set their nets and catch what they can in the short time allowed.
As seiners from all along the coast of BC gather to await the herring opening, the wharf at Comox, on Vancouver Island, is congested at this time of year. You can see the seiners in the center of the photo above in the government fish wharf, and the toothpick-like masts of the sailboats on the far right, tucked away in their private marina.
How do these boats not get tangled!?
At one time the herring fishery was lucrative, but see, below, the problem facing the herring fishermen now.
These are a few of the sea lions left after a herring season three years ago. Since then the number of sea lions has exploded to the point where the fishermen lose nets repeatedly from dozens of these giants tearing through them to get at the herring in the seine nets.
Every animal needs to eat, but the fishermen are now finding it difficult to make a living when all they seem to do is feed sea lions and pay for very expensive nets. The staggering number of sea lions that have moved in to take up permanent residence on the coast of Vancouver Island has become an overwhelming problem for the fishermen.
Solutions are hard find, as the remedies are all controversial.
Thanks for that interesting insight, Anneli. 🙂
LikeLike
You’re welcome, Pit. The sea lions have become a huge problem but there is a lot of controversy over what to do about it, and it seems that sometimes the least informed have the loudest voices.
LikeLiked by 1 person
“Sometimes”? – Always, methinks.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree.
LikeLiked by 1 person
🙂
LikeLike
Is the Captain out there?
LikeLike
No, he doesn’t do herring. Only salmon.
LikeLike
Difficult times for fishermen and sea lions.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, for both.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I don’t know how those boats don’t get tangled too. I wonder if the warming oceans are driving sea lions north? I have no idea, but things like that worry me. Climate change is going to change everything.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I think they got a taste of plenty of food in a welcoming environment (maybe warmer water, I don’t know) and they are now staying all winter rather than bothering to go home to California. They used to only be up here at herring time and into the summer. Now they are year-round residents.
LikeLiked by 1 person
I know about the difficulties with the sea lions. There are no easy answers and the only one I’ve thought of is relocation, but I don’t know enough about this to know if that even makes sense.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Trouble is that most of these sea lions have moved up here from farther down the coast. They have relocated themselves to a better place and I think it’s going to be a case of “the cat came back” if they are relocated to their California origins.
LikeLiked by 1 person
“Solutions are hard find, as the remedies are all controversial.” So true, Anneli. Thank you for bringing attention to this matter. I feel for the fishermen…it’s their livelihood.
LikeLike
Yes, it’s their livelihood and what many people don’t think about is that if they want to eat fish, they have to support their fishermen. Just like farming – we need the grain, and of course the farmers shouldn’t work for nothing to provide it for us.
LikeLiked by 1 person
What a shame, and not an easy problem to fix. I feel for those fishermen.
LikeLike
Almost impossible to fish once you get into a crowd of sea lions. Their numbers are huge and so is each animal.
LikeLike
Very interesting! I feel sorry for both, fisherman and sea lions.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Yes, it’s a real dilemma.
LikeLike
Yes, a real dilemma. But the photos with the boats are busy!
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very busy!
LikeLiked by 1 person
The image of the boats really does look like tangled toothpicks. What has caused the sea lion population to explode? This must be a very controversial issue. Lovely photos, Anneli.
LikeLiked by 1 person
We used to have a small resident population of sea lions, but the California sea lions, who used to only visit for the summer feeding, have been staying and those who went back home in the fall have told all their friends and many have now taken up permanent residence here. The balance has been upset.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Not a good thing to upset the balance.
LikeLiked by 1 person
No, and very hard to fix.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Your posts offer such an education, Anneli. Thank you.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Thanks, Patricia. Just offering what’s happening here. Hope you’re doing fine.
LikeLike
Seeing those sea lions gives me the willies. It’s never good to see the balance of nature upset. Seems they should be culled. Harsh, but true!
LikeLiked by 1 person
I agree with you, Diane. It’s awful to even think it, as I don’t like to see any animals hurt, but it is getting out of control. Seems to happen in many aspects of nature now.
LikeLike
What a mess those seiners! Sad for the fishermen. It must break their hearts to see the sea lions in wait.
LikeLiked by 1 person
Very frustrating!
LikeLiked by 1 person