Salmon Steward

salmon Steward magazine 25 I am part of a group of fishing buddies called the Pan Pacific Salmon Club. We hail from Japan, U.S. and Canada. Back when we were still working, we travelled from all corners of the world – including Tokyo,•Cairo, Kuala Lumpur, Singapore and Geneva – to fish in B.C. Every year, for more than 15 years, we have•gotten together to fish at West Coast Resort's Englefield Lodge in Haida Gwaii. We all worked for Cargill – an international agriculture/food company. We were brought together by our colleague and friend Kerry Hawkins. Kerry was the leader of our trips, planning and organizing everything. Though he was from Winnipeg, one of his favourite places to be was fishing for salmon on the West Coast. He introduced us to the experience and soon we were all hooked. It was early on that one of our party died; Rob McRae was an enthusiastic participant who left us too soon. Kerry was instrumental in coming up with the idea to honour Rob by donating to the Pacific Salmon Foundation in his name. Since 2007, the memorial fund has raised almost $210,000 for wild salmon projects and helped usforge an ongoing relationship with the Foundation. Every July when we head to Englefield, we take the opportunity to meet or have dinner with the Foundation representatives. They update us on how the Foundation is stewarding our donations and how the salmon population is faring. In so doing, they have helped us understand how critical salmon are to B.C. The thrill of salmon fishing is a natural•draw for•anglers like us, but learning how these remarkable fish also support more than 130 di"erent species, as well as the critical impact they have on First Nations communities, only renews our resolve each year•to provide financial support. Some donors might have chosen to direct their funds to Haida Gwaii simply because this is where we go fishing. But I've learned that salmon move – a lot – and pouring funds into one place does not necessarily mean those local populations will immediately benefit. The Foundation has a bird's-eye-view of the province and they vet all of their spending through a rigorous scientific and technical review process. So I know that our donations will be spent in a way that will produce the largest impact for wild salmon as a whole. This July, our group will return to British Columbia to•fish. When we meet with the Foundation, we will be donating in honour•of Kerry, who passed away last year. We have pledged to raise $50,000 over the next three years in his name. We•know Kerry would approve of this goal, and it is without a doubt a fitting legacy for a man who gave so much of his own time, money and energy to the resource he so•cherished. n Bill Varner U.S. RECREATIONAL FISHERMAN WHO CARES ABOUT SALMON? The late Kerry Hawkins and his son Evan on board the Charlotte Princess on one of their first fishing trips to Haida Gwaii. To learn more about setting up a memorial fund for a loved one, contact Margaret Buttner at mbuttner@psf.ca or 604.664.7664 ext. 128. One avid angler raises funds while paying tribute to a friend Bill Varner (top far right) and the Pan Pacific Salmon Club members stopped in B.C. for their annual visit with the Pacific Salmon Foundation. "On the water, fishing, was the only place my father was truly at peace. He was no longer a CEO pre-occupied with bottom lines and politics – he was just Kerry. He taught me a lot about respecting nature." – EVAN HAWKINS

• Cover