SalmonAid 2008

No, it's not a new protein drink. SalmonAid is a Pacific coast effort to find solutions and support for a fishing industry that's been decimated by poor choices and lack of action. And it's in my backyard for the next two days.

Unless your head's been buried in the sand over the past few months, you already know that salmon season was cancelled this year from California to the Pacific Northwest. Close to 1,000 commercial fishermen have been impacted by the closure and everyone is looking for answers. SalmonAid was formulated in an effort to get groups that formerly lobbed a lot of blame at each other to gather around a cause:

By uniting commercial, tribal, and sportfishing interests with conservation organizations, chefs and restaurant owners, and the American consumer to celebrate and restore our wild salmon and healthy, free-flowing rivers, SalmonAid will inform the public about the historic, cultural, economic, dietary, and environmental benefits of healthy wild salmon populations and the threats to their continued existence.

Typical foggy and chilly Bay Area weather didn't discourage attendees. Manuel and I joined a sizable crowd to visit information booths, talk to fishers and fish conservationists, pose with a giant inflatable salmon, and quaff Sierra Nevada beer. Sounds like a perfect Saturday to me!

Enjoy some pics from our adventures today (my fave is the image of a woman chatting-up a salmon). If you're in the Bay Area this weekend, head to Jack London Square in Oakland and help support an important cause that doesn't just benefit fish, but fishers too.