David NeiwertThis is one of the most heartbreaking photos I’ve ever seen: Little J-54, struggling to survive and too weak to swim on his own, being held up by his big sister, J-46, on the right, and his cousin, J-47, on the left, after the death of J-28, his mother. Captain Mark Malleson of the Prince of Whales took this two weeks ago, and we can be certain that his struggles have ended in the time since — probably within hours of when this was taken.
Requiesce in peace, little one. I pray that the humans who robbed your mother of her food and caused her to die of malnutrition, and in turn did the same to you, finally wake up and do the right thing: Tear down the dams they need to take out, remove the old culverts in the Puget Sound river deltas, and return the salmon to their waters.