The ThunderBlogs

A young girl in yellow rain boots was dragging a dead fish by its tail. She seemed peculiarly out of place until a toddler caught up to her, carrying the same load.

The children’s parents were close behind, energetically swinging their own bags with fish. Their family venture had either an educational – a sign next to them read Wild Salmon Don’t Do Drugs – or an environmentalist purpose. The bottom half of the sign urged Just Say No to Farmed Salmon.

The sign, damp from the rain, was swinging next to a line of fishing boats at Fisherman’s Wharf in Steveston Village where a troupe of beaming fisherman exhibited their latest catch for a Sunday morning crowd. The boat decks heaved with sablefish, cod and every imaginable species of salmon. Up on the pier, people barely glanced at the tanks with crabs as they rushed toward the boats. The fishing season delivered a record salmon harvest in British Columbia and many Vancouverites wanted the chance to transform their own piece of history into grilled perfection.

Raincoat-clad customers hovered on the swaying dock and relentlessly poked each other with umbrellas. It was possible to tell how long each of them stood in line by how strongly their clothes smelled of fish and how enviously they eyed the other buyers’ bulging plastic bags.

“15 dollar, very good,” called a woman from a small fishing boat. She shoved one fish toward the crowd to emphasize the offer.

The sight of the majestic silver carcass drew sighs of appreciation from the audience. Several eager bystanders stepped forward to claim the fish.

Around the corner, an agile young man was negotiating with a woman in pink capri pants. The sign on his boat announced that he had run out of sockeye salmon and was now selling cod. People tripped over their rain boots as they ran from his boat in panic.

The sight of the man they encountered as they turned to the west dock did little to ease their anxiety. This was not an amateur customer. He had camouflaged himself in rainproof khaki wear and brought along a large storage container that now teemed with sea urchins and shrimp.

Lineups for fresh salmon remained steady throughout the day despite the relentless rain. Another line was forming several blocks away as people, some still holding their fish, waited to order defrosted beef patties at McDonalds.