From Placeholders to Pathbuilders: A 5-Year Plan to Revive Reefnetting
This week’s episode of The Last Reefnetters featured our Executive Director, Riley Starks, reflecting on what it means to carry forward a tradition that predates the founding of the United States—and what’s required now to ensure that it doesn’t end with us.
Reefnetting is not just a fishing method. It’s a sacred practice developed by the Coast Salish people, rooted in reciprocity with the sea. Unlike modern extractive techniques, reefnetting is anchored, observational, and deeply intentional. The fish come to you—not the other way around.
In 1935, 78 reefnet gears operated around Lummi Island. Today, only 12 remain, and just one is tribally operated. This is not a footnote. It’s a responsibility.
At the Salish Center, we approach this work with reverence and a deep commitment to honoring Indigenous sovereignty and legacy. We are here to support the structural, ecological, and economic conditions that allow reefnetting to survive and thrive again.
We are honored to have Lucas Kinley, a Lummi tribal member, on our board of directors. Lucas is the son of Ellie Kinley, a respected reefnetter and advocate featured in the documentary, and the late Larry Kinley, whose visionary leadership helped shape the reefnet revival movement. Their family’s contributions continue to guide and ground our work.
Today, most reefnetters cannot make a living from the practice alone. Many work other jobs—carpenters, teachers, jewelers—and return to the water each summer out of love for the sea, the fish, and the stories passed down across generations. But heritage alone isn’t enough to sustain the future. That’s why the Salish Center is building a layered, long-term strategy to support reefnetting families.
One of the most promising opportunities lies in seaweed farming. Seaweed is a regenerative, zero-input crop that improves water quality, sequesters carbon, and enhances marine biodiversity. Just as importantly, it provides a viable off-season income for reefnetters. With the right support and access to licensing, families who operate reefnet gear could also cultivate seaweed in adjacent waters, helping to build sustainable livelihoods without compromising ecological values.
This isn’t just about preserving a tradition; it’s about building a future that honors and uplifts it.
Our 5-Year Plan: Building a Pathway for Revival
YEAR 1: LAY THE GROUNDWORK
- Construct one new reefnet gear with solar-powered infrastructure
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Navigate complex permitting processes
- Continue strengthening collaboration with tribal leaders and families.
- Host community gatherings and storytelling events to deepen awareness
- Celebrate our annual Reefnet Festival, honoring the past and present of reefnetting
- Launch our inaugural Seaweed Festival, spotlighting the ecological and economic potential of regenerative aquaculture in the Salish Sea
YEAR 2: SUPPORT ECONOMIC RESILIENCE
- Pilot co-located seaweed farms to diversify income for reefnet fisher families
- Expand reefnet-harvested product offerings (e.g., smoked fish)
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Develop and promote a Salish Sea Certified certification program
YEAR 3: BUILD COMMUNITY CAPACITY
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Open a gear-building and maintenance workshop at the Center
- Launch youth internship and apprenticeship programs, guided and leda by cultural leaders
- Partner with chefs, grocers, and restaurants to build market demand for seaweed and reefnet salmon products
- Begin storytelling initiatives focused on fishers and their families
YEAR 4: SCALE AND SHARE
- Encourage deployment of new reefnets at traditional tribal sites by coast salish fishers
- Grow educational media, including short documentaries and interactive content
- Create and distribute an open-source “Reefnet Revival” toolkit to help pass on the Institutional knowledge gained in the recent past
YEAR 5: ENSURE LEGACY
- Sustain at least four operational reefnet gears
- Establish a permanent reefnetting exhibition and digital archive
- Secure long-term funding for operations, training, and storytelling
- Ensure the next generation inherits more than stories, they inherit opportunity
As Riley said in The Last Reefnetters:
“I’ve always felt like a placeholder, holding space for the day when reefnetting can again propagate throughout the Salish Sea.”
That day won’t arrive on hope alone. It must be built carefully, collaboratively, and with lasting commitment.
If you believe in the power of heritage, sustainability, and community to shape a better future—this is your invitation.
Learn more, support, or get involved at salishcenter.org
Watch this week’s episode of The Last of the Reefnetters here:
