Salmon pain

Salmon pain

Dear Canadians,

        As Canada's beautiful October is approaching, I am reminded of an unforgettable experience when I first came to Canada many years ago. Let me describe the situation and feelings at that time.

        On the same weekend in October, I watched the famous salmon migration in the town of Port Hope. I think you are very familiar with this spectacular sight and may even have become oblivious to it. As a first-time visitor, I was deeply shocked by the indomitable spirit of the salmon.

        Schools of salmon carrying their children swim upstream, crossing rapids and dangerous beaches. After a long and arduous journey, they are finally about to reach their destination - the place where they were born in their memories, the place where they have been attached to for generations, and the place where they continue their own and their clan's lives - to prepare to give birth to their next generation. As a tourist, I witnessed this spectacular scene for the first time, and I was shocked - for these tenacious lives!

        However, this article is not to praise their fearlessness and their hardships. I just want to say that what shocked and incomprehensible me was the tens of thousands of fish, when they crossed the rapids and dangerous beaches with their bellies full of offspring, when they took a nap on the shore, when they were completely unaware of the humans on the shore, when they were about to reach the end of their lives, they were easily caught by the humans on the shore with fishing hooks and nets, and were killed without any scruples. The fish lost their lives and the right to continue their offspring - just a stone's throw away from their life destination.

        I don't quite understand how Canadians who grew up under the influence of Western culture feel about this kind of thing. I saw many people fishing and killing fish but no one stopped them. I don't understand why this kind of thing is allowed here. To take a step back, even if Canada allows the killing of various creatures including this kind of fish for the sake of human survival, we cannot destroy this kind of life in this special state at this special moment. If the fish itself is incapable of reaching the end of its life, it is the choice of nature. We respect nature and we have nothing to say; but the slaughter at this moment is the artificial destruction of the laws of nature and the artificial interruption of their life process. It is completely cruel and meaningless. Facing so many dying fish lying on the shore, how can we humans feel.

        From what I know, I believe that everything has a soul, including salmon. Fish have souls, and they know that their ancestors were slaughtered in this river or that river. This memory is in their ancient and mysterious genes and will be passed on in the population. If we cannot stop this inhumane killing as soon as possible, I believe that in the near future, the scene of salmon return will gradually fade away from the vision and life of Canadians.

        In China, I have witnessed the disappearance of too many great natural landscapes and the destruction of too many species. That is the evil that people have brought to nature in order to satisfy their insatiable greed. In a free and democratic country like Canada, I don't want to see similar tragedies happen. I don't know whether this suggestion is in line with Canadian humanistic culture, and I don't know whether it can save some salmon that have gone through hardships and long journeys to come here in order to reproduce their offspring. But in any case, please - respected media - help call for: stop this barbaric and cruel slaughter.

        A new year, a new return. Six years have passed and I don’t know what fate awaits them.

(Note: Fortunately, this article was published in local newspapers. I am very grateful to them.)