Salmon Wars: The Battle for the West Coast Salmon Fishery

Shortlisted for 2006 George Ryga Award for Social Awareness in B.C. Writing and Publishing

In this remarkable book, author Dennis Brown reviews the history of the West Coast salmon resource with such comprehensiveness and clarity that even those closest to the issue will find themselves viewing it with new understanding. Brown places the reader at the centre of the controversies surrounding the Canada-United States Pacific Salmon Treaty, the subsequent Alaska ferry blockade and other highly charged media events while analyzing the motivations of key decision makers with a flair that makes for an invigorating read. Salmon Wars: The Battle for the West Coast Salmon Fishery is a landmark study of this crucial subject.

I can think of no more devoted or passionate observer than Dennis Brown. His account of the changing fortunes of Canada’s West Coast salmon fishery, and of the people and communities whose lives and livelihoods are intertwined with that precious resource, should not be missed. This is a story that has been waiting to be told.

–Yves Fortier, Canada’s chief negotiator, Pacific Salmon Treaty (1993-1998)