Victoria fisherman Bob Fraumeni is used to the challenges of the sea, having worked on fishing boats since he was 12 years old.
But there was little he could do to salvage his haul of herring last week when "hundreds of sea lions" piled into the nets in the Northumberland Channel, close to the Duke Point on Vancouver Island, to feast on the catch over two nights.
To make matters worse, the catch was intended to raise money for an annual charity sale to help children with cancer, forcing the event to be postponed from last weekend to this Saturday.
"They came and jumped in our net," said Fraumeni, 68. "So we couldn't get any herring because we had to release the net, and let the sea lions swim away with the herring. The sea lions all got a big feed, but nobody at home got anything. So we're all hungry still, but they're not."
Fraumeni's boat, Star Wars 2 and other vessels were back on the water this week, finally securing a 75-tonne haul before dawn on Thursday that will be divided into 20-pound bags and sold on the Steveston waterfront for about $25 via an online ticketing system. Some will also be sold at Fraumeni's Finest at Sea restaurant in Victoria.
Fishermen Helping Kids With Cancer has been holding the charity sale since 2011, an event inspired by the cancer battle of a commercial fisherman's 17-year-old daughter, who died days before the first sale that she helped organize. Funds go to the families of cancer patients at BC Children's Hospital.
Phil Eidsvik, an organizer with Fishermen Helping Kids With Cancer, said sea lions seem to be "more aggressive" this year.
"We circle a net, and the net is full of fish, so they just jump over the corks, and then they have dinner all on the table for them," said Eidsvik.
"And there are thousands of them, and I don't blame them for trying."
Eidsvik said fishermen tried to use a decoy boat to lure sea lions away and as soon as they were gone, the fishermen would set the net quickly and try to lift it out before the sea lions got in.
"It's pretty comical, actually," said Eidsvik.
Fraumeni said sea lions are hungry year-round, the huge mammals consuming a vast quantity of food to stay warm. Herring, with their high protein and oil content, "fix them up nicely."
"The only problem is we have to be careful because if they get tangled in the net, they'll get killed, and they're on the endangered species list," said Fruameni.
In Canada, Steller sea lions are listed as a species of special concern.
Retired fisherman Glenn Budden, a volunteer with Fishermen Helping Kids With Cancer, said the boats went out around dark on Wednesday to look for herring again, and he spent the night monitoring and tracking them.
"I woke up in the morning at one o'clock, and they still didn't have fish, and at three o'clock they still didn't have any fish, and then I heard my phone buzz at about six o'clock, going 'we finally have fish,'" recalled Budden.
He said the fishermen "finally found a place where there were no sea lions," allowing them to get their nets around a school of herring.
At Trites Road on the Steveston waterfront on Thursday, engines were rumbling and seagulls were circling as fishermen in black boots unloaded the catch from Star Wars 2.
Tonnes of herring were poured into giant baskets, awaiting Saturday's sale, while a fat seal waited next to the vessel in the hope of a handout.
Videographer Yann Guerin had been on Star Wars 2 last week to document the fishing.
He said he had seen sea lions on whale watching tours. But nothing prepared him for the "mind-blowing" onslaught of the mammals as they rushed the boat.
"I was amazed because it's the first time I've seen something like this, but for the fishermen, it was just like a regular Wednesday, just like we see birds at the park, you know," laughed Guerin.
At the docks on Thursday afternoon, having gone without sleep the whole night, he was exhausted but satisfied.
"We can go home and sell the herring to the people who are waiting. And the kids will get all their money. So I'm very happy," said Guerin.
Budden said there was a special feeling associated with the fishing industry collaborating on a good cause, while Fraumeni said fishermen who volunteered received letters and phone calls from families of children with cancer who received their support.
"It's quite heart-wrenching, some of the letters we get," said Fraumeni.
One letter from the mother of an eight-year-old cancer patient is shared on the website of Fraumeni's restaurant.
"I am getting all teary-eyed writing this, but I just want to let you know how much it means to our family and that we are very grateful for your hearts and our support through this journey, it makes it a little easier and keeps his spirits fighting," the letter says.
Picture Courtesy: THE CANADIAN PRESS/Nono Shen
