For thousands of years dying Oolicans rolled over on to their silvery backs, eyes looking up towards the sky, on the brown surface water of the Lower Fraser River , that like clock work in May starts spring Freshet ! For thousand of years the Oolichan ritual was the same , the little oily fish became at last visible on the surface of the river in the late spring ! The many species of fish hunting birds ” including Eagles” that depended upon the silver fish and their life giving ocean oil to feed and raise the young that were now in the nest were waiting . It was , ” from a God kind of natural cycle” of Oolican death and giving so that many other species could survive !
Its late May and the spawned out fish now find themselves out of swimming control and slowly rolling over on the surface of a dark muddy river, strangely now the little ocean fish are under the complete mercy of the tide and wind in the river estuary ! On every wave thousands of the up -side down struggling Oolichan finally wash ashore in the lower river . The tide drops and the marshes are covered in dead splashes of silver through out the dead grasses, the muddy banquet table is set and there are many species that are patiently waiting for their spring time feed . Yes for thousands of years this was mother natures or gods plan for these little fish, they would provide them self as food for other species to survive ! Also the great Fraser River Juvenile Salmon Marshes that provide food for spring migrating fry and smolts are waiting now to receive the fertilizing goodness of the left over dieing Oolichan ,yes this has been happening for thousands of years, a part of natures wonderful plan !
Last year I walked along the shores of the North Arm of the Fraser River , I saw no gulls in the sky looking down , I saw no Eagles watching from the dolphins and the brown river Freshet was not visable . I walked and walked and wondered if the river’s brown silty colour would come in time for the Oolichans and really some how I knew, like the year before, that the Fraser River Oolichan would again never come home ! We can only hope this will change in the spring of 2011 !
Terry ” From the North Arm of the Fraser River ”
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