food for thought “Before, I would work hard on the boat to take a break in the winter... Now, we go out fishing to take a break from life.” T he story of the Pacific Prowler fishing boat is the story of a fishing family. Every year, the vessel’s operators, Becky and Dane, head out to sea in search of Canada’s finest salmon, taking their three young children along for the journey. The trip serves as the backbone of their livelihood, but trolling for salmon is just one of the family’s many goals. They navigate up the coast of British Columbia in search of adventures and an alternative education, forming a deeper connection to their environment, their community, and to one another along the way. GROWING UP AT SEA to their fishing grounds in Haida Gwaii. “I’ve always loved being on the boat,” Becky says as we climb aboard. We walk inside the kitchen, referred to as the galley, which converts into a movie theatre at night. Then we descend into a freezer that spans the size of a small apartment, capable of storing 30,000 lbs of salmon at a time. “There are snacks for the fish and snacks for the kids,” Becky says, pointing out drawers of lures stacked above stashes of candy. Each spot on their vessel serves a dual purpose, functioning as both a workspace and a comfortable family dwell-ing. Maintaining this balance is crucial to their success. On some days, they focus entirely on fishing — reeling in, cleaning, and deep-freezing salmon from dawn to dusk. On others, they paddleboard to shore or dive beneath the surface with their snorkels and masks. “The kids can only go five or six days on the boat without going crazy,” Becky says, so heading out on adventures is an essential part of their experience. Thanks to the knowledge passed down from Becky’s father and his friends, the family is able to navigate uncharted waters and anchor at stunning, deserted beaches. They rarely catch sight of other humans, but they are never far from a pod of whales or a family of bears. HOW TO CATCH AND PRESERVE FRESH FISH The Pacific Prowler is a family-run fishing business based out of Salt Spring Island. Becky Acheson inherited the operation from her father, Chris Acheson, along with his reputation for catching exceptional wild fish. Fishing permeated Becky’s childhood. She learned the tricks of the trade at an early age and developed a love for exploring remote destinations while at sea. So, when she fell in love with Dane Orser, a cattle rancher from Alberta, Becky knew it would only be a matter of time before he joined her for an adventure on deck. Shortly after the couple began dating, Dane agreed to spend a summer tuna fishing with Becky and her dad. The trio bobbed up and down in open-ocean swells for 50 days straight, unable to set foot on land for the entirety of their voyage. “I dragged my poor husband onboard,” Becky says with an apologetic laugh. But somewhere between Vancouver Island and Hawaii, Dane reeled in his first deep-sea fish and he, too, got hooked. BALANCING WORK AND PLAY Today, Becky and Dane are eager to share the rewards and respon-sibilities of a life at sea with their own offspring — now ages 6, 9, and 11. I visit their vessel as they prepare for their annual expedition In between these adventures, Becky insists the kids learn about the fishing process — from tracking to preserving their catch. Their primary focus is catching spring salmon, also referred to as Chinook, which is widely regarded as the tastiest of all salmon species. Spring salmon is large, succulent, and rich in essential fatty acids. They aim to catch this coveted delicacy at the peak of its life cycle, just as it returns home from the open ocean and before it is weathered by the long journey down the coastline. They employ a method called trolling (not to be mistaken for trawling), in which PHOTOS COURTESY OF PACIFIC PROWLER, PACIFICPROWLER.COM ediblevancouverisland.com 5
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