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Photo: The days when the Fraser River teemed with salmon

This photo of fishers on the Fraser River was taken around 1900
gillnetters Steveston
This photo of fishers on the Fraser River was taken around 1900

Oh how gillnetters on the Fraser River today would love to witness scenes like this from around 1900.

While it seems unlikely that there will be a sockeye salmon run yet again this year on the Fraser due to dwindling returns, this photo posted on Facebook by the Friends of the Richmond Archives paints a picture of the glory days.

As described on Facebook, in “those days the boats were handled by two men, one on the nets and one on the oars.

“Powered vessels take barges out to the fishermen to be filled with salmon and hauled back to the canneries along the Steveston waterfront.”