Coming Back To Life?

Hi all, so...long time no see. Life is strange. Things have a way of finding their own time with us. Sometimes a film is better when it's forged in something hot. It's quick. It's "now".

And then sometimes you have a project like this one...where it's forged over a loooong period of time. I am sure many people have concluded that I gave up on this effort. Nope. Far from it. I think about it every single day. And because I have been forced to pull away from the work directly for over a year, this is has given me perspectives I didn't expect to have. Had I finished the film series and podcasts already (they were expected to have been completed long ago!) the story would not have been as fully explored as I now feel it needs to be.

To give you a sense of where I am right now in the storytelling process, here is a snapshot. Below is an email that I sent out to about 30 key salmon preservation organizers today.

If you are getting this salmon preservation related email from me it's because we've corresponded in some regard in the past on this issue.

Up until late 2018 I was working hard to create a film and podcast series called Being Salmon, Being Human.  The title was derived from a recent book by the same name.

My goal was/is to create a series of podcasts and short films that once seen or heard would convince a person to give up on purchasing factory farmed open net salmon ever again.

The work was proceeding, trips were planned, footage was being edited, etc...but then life had other plans for me.  In 2019 my mother got cancer, I moved my parents out of their home and across state lines, and a local environmental issue where I lived flared up that really needed a movie made about it that required my attention.

Now it's 2020 and the covid-19 situation has drastically affected travel plans for film makers and everyone else.  I am also now the full time caretaker for both parents and my mother is on hospice care. I won't be producing any film series in the immediate future. But this time away from the project has given me a lot of perspective on the topic.  

While I cannot throw myself directly back into working on things due to caretaking duties I can begin to research the larger fish farm story with regards to how the salmon industry has grown into the giant that it is today. Naturally, that's a very large story to tackle.  It's a slow burn journalistic approach for now...

What I am looking for is a thinktank of people who likely already know much of the information that I will be seeking.  I am looking for folks who can either provide information directly or drop hints about where I should look. For example...right now there is no worldwide map of where all the salmon fish farms are located. Or is there?  If there isn't, my goal is to create one.  But maybe someone already has put in all that time and effort and I can at least then amplify and share their labors in a broader format.  

This initial email then is to just gauge if you are interested in receiving such challenges for assistance?  Of course there is pressure to respond to any query specifically. I am just looking for allies to help me tell the most accurate story possible about different aspects of the salmon open net industry, the impacts on natural salmon runs, how the fish from farms is distributed and under what brand names...etc.

If you are interested in being on this advisory council of sorts...please do let me know and I will keep your name on the list.  If possible also let me know what your particular area of specialization might be.

many thanks,

Charlie

Owner, Salmonfolk Films