Looks Fishy

Twyla Roscovich’s documentary Salmon Confidential, screened this week at VIFF, starts with an indisputable statement: salmon are a generous fish.

A touchstone species of B.C.’s ecosystem, salmon aren’t just an iconic animal and one of our favourite meals, they’re an essential food source for bears, orcas, bald eagles and a multitude of other wildlife we’re proud to have present in our province. So, when biologist Alexandra Morton tracked the decimation of wild salmon populations to viruses funnelled into migration channels by toxic fish-farm effluent, she imagined government would swiftly address the environmental and economic repercussions. Turns out, she was sorely mistaken.

This riveting piece documents the scientific and bureaucratic navigation of a local issue that affects the planet—and the sashimi on your plate.

Can you imagine a B.C. without salmon? —Adrienne Matei

More information, screening locations and the video trailer for Salmon Confidential here.