The Last Reefnetter: How Salish Center Is Fighting to Keep This Sacred Tradition Alive
For thousands of years, reefnetting has sustained the Coast Salish inhabitants of the Salish Sea. This deeply spiritual and highly sustainable fishing method was developed by the Lummi Nation and other Northern Straits Salish tribes to harvest salmon in harmony with the ecosystem. But today, this tradition is on the verge of disappearing.
At the Salish Center for Sustainable Fishing Methods, we are working to ensure that reefnetting not only survives but thrives. Now, the upcoming documentary series, The Last Reefnetter, premiering on Cascade PBS on March 21, 2025, tells this critical story—and Salish Center’s Executive Director, Riley Starks, is featured, offering firsthand insight into the fight to preserve this method for future generations.
A Tradition Under Threat
Reefnet fishing is one of the most selective and sustainable fishing methods in the world, allowing fishers tosee and carefully choose which salmon to catch while releasing non-targeted fish unharmed. Despite its ecological benefits, reefnetting has been devastated by industrial overfishing, restrictive policies, and habitat destruction. Today, only 12 reefnet captains remain, and just one is an enrolled tribal member.
The Last Reefnetter explores the legal, cultural, and environmental challenges facing reefnetters, examining how colonial policies nearly erased this practice and why protecting it is essential for the future of the Salish Sea.
Salish Center’s Commitment to Keeping Reefnetting Alive
At the Salish Center, our mission is to educate, advocate, and restore sustainable fishing practices like reefnetting. We are actively working to:
✅ Train the Next Generation – Offering opportunities for young fishers to learn reefnetting firsthand.
✅ Fund & Build New Reefnet Gears – Expanding access and keeping this method alive.
✅ Protect & Restore Salmon Populations – Strengthening the salmon runs that sustain our marine ecosystem and Southern Resident Orcas.
✅ Advocate for Policy Change – Working to ensure reefnetting has legal protections and a path forward.
✅ Push for More Water Time – Advocating for policies that give reefnetters more time on the water and an economic future, ensuring that this tradition remains viable for generations to come.
✅ Fund & Build New Reefnet Gears – Expanding access and keeping this method alive.
✅ Protect & Restore Salmon Populations – Strengthening the salmon runs that sustain our marine ecosystem and Southern Resident Orcas.
✅ Advocate for Policy Change – Working to ensure reefnetting has legal protections and a path forward.
✅ Push for More Water Time – Advocating for policies that give reefnetters more time on the water and an economic future, ensuring that this tradition remains viable for generations to come.
This documentary is a powerful reminder of the work still to be done—and why we can’t afford to lose this practice.
Watch & Take Action
Join us in watching The Last Reefnetter and standing up for the future of sustainable fishing.
📺 Where to Watch
Premieres: Friday, March 21, 2025, at 8:50 PM on Cascade PBS
Air Dates: March 21, March 28, April 4, April 11, and April 18
Air Dates: March 21, March 28, April 4, April 11, and April 18
At Salish Center, we are committed to ensuring that reefnetting remains a living tradition, not a lost one. Watch, learn, and be part of the movement to save it.
