The Salmon People

Off the coast of BC, wild salmon started dying by the millions.

Chris Bennett runs Blackfish Lodge 300 kilometers north of Vancouver. He was leading a group of tourists on a boat tour when he looked into the water and noticed young salmon – called smolt – acting strangely.

He’d found a clue.

He took it to an unlikely detective - a whale biologist - Alexandra Morton - who’d be pulled into a battle against government, industry and multinational corporations.

A story like this one should have been a hero’s tale. An Erin Brockovich moment. But it didn’t quite play out that easily.

This is the fascinating story of a 20-year battle to save Canada’s wild salmon.

The Salmon People podcast is a co-production between journalist Sandra Bartlett and Canada's National Observer.

Sandra Bartlett is an award winning reporter and producer based in Toronto. She worked on the ICIJ project Secrecy for Sale and Skin and Bone. Bartlett worked as a producer and reporter in NPR's Investigative Unit based in Washington where she collaborated on projects with PBS Frontline, ProPublica, the Center for Public Integrity, the Center for Investigative Reporting, as well as individual journalists in Canada and Europe. In 20 plus years at the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation, as an editor, a reporter and producer, Bartlett covered daily news, foreign assignments and special programming. She worked in London, Europe, Israel, Cuba and Pakistan.

We are crowdfunding to cover the cost of this podcast. If you'd like to contribute, as little as five dollars per month can help support this work: https://www.nationalobserver.com/donate/podcasts.