Spawning Salmon
79cm
The centre of this buoy was found by This buoy was found by Ocean Adventures Charters on their beach clean-up initiative in the summer of 2021. It was found in the Sinnett Islands on the Central Coast. It was likely used in the salmon or herring gill net fishery.
The top and bottom floats are from an old gillnet are carved from cedar and painted with tar. Before plastic was common this is what fishermen used. They are heavier and can get damaged easier then plastic but they eventually degrade unlike plastic buoys used today.
I have painted 3 species of salmon in their spawning colours, a pink salmon, a sockeye and a chinook. There are five species of salmon that inhabit the Westcoast of North America. Each species of salmon is incredible, from their epic migrations to their beautifully evolved bodies that change dramatically over the course of their lifespans. These fish are vital to the coastal ecosystems in the Pacific Northwest as well as to the Indigenous Peoples and settler peoples in this area.
10% of the purchase price of this piece of art will be donated the to the Pacific Salmon Foundation. An organization that puts salmon first and supports all ‘Salmon Communities’ on our coast.