Burnaby author's new book tells a salty tale

If anybody knows about the history of the B.C. fishing industry, it's Norman Safarik.

The 93-year-old North Burnaby resident recently published a memoir that looks at his long career running Vancouver Shellfish & Fish Company.

Safarik and his son, Allan Safarik, an award-winning writer, co-authored the book, called Bluebacks and Silver Brights: A Lifetime in the B.C. Fisheries From Bounty to Plunder.

Part business story, part social history, and part eco-memoir, the work chronicles the adventures of fishermen on the Pacific Coast and tells the story of a man who spent his lifetime in the fishing industry.

Safarik gives an account of the colourful characters he met in his more than 65 years working with other fishermen who often risked their lives for their work.

The authors also highlight the changes in the fishing industry through the decades, and suggest the current practice of farming fish on B.C.'s coast is "akin to growing wheat in flowerpots in Saskatchewan."