A Lesson in Salish Sea Salmon Restoration

Sustainability and the health of our Salish Sea and waterways has long been an area of focus for the ownership and staff at Ray’s Boathouse. We’ve always worked to educate our team about what they are serving, where it came from and how it was caught or harvested. We visit our fishermen and women and other purveyors to see where our product comes from and how they run their businesses.

In the last year we partnered with non-profit Long Live the Kings (LLTK) to take an even larger role in the welfare of our local salmon runs so that generations to come can enjoy fresh wild salmon as we have. We are shifting our focus from one of sustainability to one that ensures our salmon populations increase as our city and infrastructure continues to grow and change.

Everything LLTK does is on behalf of improving the health and habitats of local salmon including three main areas: advancing science, improving management and implementing solutions.

Recently our team had the opportunity to sit down with the Executive Director of LLTK, Jacques White, for a lesson in salmon sustainability and the current state of our local runs, as well as updates regarding the Southern Resident Killer Whale Recovery Task Force which is helping to ensure they have enough wild salmon to survive.

In the early 1980s there were nearly 1,000,000 Chinook salmon harvested here compared to about 200,000 in 2010. The biggest factors affecting Salish Sea salmon populations are:

  • Food sources (zooplankton and other salmon friendly nutrients)
  • Pollution
  • Noise
  • Predators
  • Infrastructure

Each of these plays a role in the reduction of salmon for various reasons and when compounded it’s easy to see why our local salmon are suffering.

There is no quick solution to this issue, but they have seen positive results in recent years including the ongoing restoration of Hood Canal summer chum. These fish were nearly extinct by the early 1990s but with the help of LLTK operating a conservation hatchery program to increase the abundance of naturally spawning summer chum, the number of adults returning to these rivers annually has increased from the 100s to well over 2,000.

LLTK is also actively involved in the Southern Resident Killer Whale Recovery Task Force developed recently to address population concerns for these whales. The task force made recommendations to Governor Inslee to protect orcas and aid in their recovery with 11 of the 36 recommendations influenced by LLTK’s Salish Sea Marine Survival Project!

Ray’s is dedicated to this cause and doing what we can to increase the populations of our local salmon. For us it starts at the team level getting everyone at Ray’s to understand the issues at hand and to be able to educate our guests.

We invite you to learn more and get involved in this journey with us at LLTK.org.

Images courtesy of Long Live the Kings. 

Ray’s Team Summits Mt. Rainier

A group of adventurous Ray’s team members recently climbed and summited Mt. Rainier in a three-day excursion! Our GM and Co-owner Doug along with our Boathouse Manager Nic, his partner Elizabeth, and restaurant staff Sarah, Alex and Joe.

Day one they left Paradise, WA at 11am and made it to Camp Muir at 5:30pm to set up tents on the ice. The next morning they broke down camp and climbed to Cathedral Gap then to Ingraham Flats to set up camp for the night. The next day was their summit push from Ingraham Flats to the summit and back and down to the car. Whew!!

Lots of hard work, good times and little sleep. While it wasn’t a guided tour our Manager Nic sure made the team feel at ease with his experience and certifications… this was his 38th summit(!): American Mountain Guides Association Alpine Guide Certified, Wilderness First Responder Certified, America Institute for Avalanche Certification Pro 2, and Explorer Scout Search and Rescue Volunteer.

Check out photos from their trip below and get an up close look at the majestic mountain in our backyard!

Sun, Patios & Cocktails… Summer has arrived at Ray’s!

Relax with us on our Café and Boathouse decks all summer long! Soak in the sun and the gorgeous views as you enjoy our fresh, local seafood menus of Dungeness crab, clams, mussels, wild salmon and perfectly grilled steaks… plus ice-cold Ballard beers, chilled Rosé and cocktails!

Here’s a peek at some of our favorite sunny-weather libations:

Cafe

  • Endless Summer Plymouth gin, fresh lemon, strawberry purée, house-made lavender syrup, tiki bitters
  • My Tie Fighter Bacardi white rum, falernum, triple sec, lime, hibiscus, float of Goslings dark rum

Boathouse

  • Pocket Full of Posies Hendrick’s Midsummer Solstice gin, Gifford Créme de Violette, house-made lavender syrup, lemon
  • Black Cherry Margarita El Jimador reposado tequila, house-made black cherry shrub, sour, triple sec

Grab your sunglasses and we’ll see you soon!