This weekend I participated in a "protest flotilla". (Sorry Tom but there is a first time for everything, and everyone should stand for something right?)
It was sponsored by Our Sound- Our Salmon and by Sound Keepers and was on the southern end of Bainbridge Island and there was a pretty significant turnout. Over 40 power boats, from a 50+ foot sailboat, several large commercial fishing boats (seiners and trawlers), many native fishing vessels including a big vessel from the Lumi Sea food processing company, lots of pleasure craft, including a few C-Dorys, and about 75 kayaks.
The C-dory in the picture, (Green stripe with the Orca on top), as far as I know has no connection with C-Brats. In fact it had engine trouble and wound up being towed through the parade, which turned out to be quite fitting as the Orca was then chasing the salmon.)
Maybe not coincidentally, earlier in the morning, (I had stayed at Blake Island the night before), a pod of Orca were spotted in the area of the fish pen farms, on Sunday morning not long before the "flotilla" was to meet. The purpose of the flotilla was to attract some media attention to the fact that the open pen fish farms need to be out of Washington state waters, like our neighboring states. It was held there because it is next to the pens that have had escapes before, and also the Washington State Governor lives on Bainbridge Island. It was peaceful, coordinated, educational and actually some fun too.
Nice find of the new pix.
Harvey
SleepyC :moon
