When Pacific herring populations began to decline in the late 1970s, a group of local volunteers known as the Squamish Streamkeepers set out to understand what was happening in the waters around Howe Sound and False Creek, near Vancouver, British Columbia. Their investigation revealed that hundreds of millions of herring eggs were dying on creosote-treated pilings in urban spawning areas.

Determined to find a solution, the Streamkeepers spent 17 years experimenting with different materials and methods to protect the eggs. Their efforts brought both successes and failures, requiring them to continually adapt their approach to changing conditions. Eventually, they developed a simple but effective solution: small nets that move with the tides, helping protect herring eggs in urban waters.

“The Streamkeepers' Way” follows this remarkable grassroots conservation effort and demonstrates how persistence, experimentation and community action can contribute to protecting aquatic ecosystems. Their work also led to a sobering discovery: while local habitat protection can make a difference, larger environmental forces continue to affect Pacific herring populations along the west coast of North America.

Director: Scott Renyard
Producer: Scott Renyard

Version française doublée disponible: À la façon des ¨Gardiens-des-rivières¨

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