The Great Lakes Fishery Commission will be hosting the Owen Sound premiere of the award-winning documentary film, The Fish Thief: A Great Lakes Mystery, on Friday, August 30 at 7 p.m., at Galaxy Cinemas in Owen Sound. The event is free and open to the public.
The Fish Thief, narrated by Oscar-winner J.K. Simmons, tells the remarkable true story of the fight to save the Great Lakes fishery from one of the most destructive species: the sea lamprey. The sea lamprey’s incursion into the Great Lakes in the mid-1900s decimated populations of lake trout, whitefish, and other species that were integral to the region’s economy and way of life. The crash destroyed jobs and businesses, devastating towns, tribal communities, and First Nations in Canada and the United States. In the face of the destruction, a tenacious group of scientists fought back and worked for years, tirelessly searching for a way to control the marine villain. What they discovered continues to influence the Great Lakes region’s economic fortunes and sounds a warning about the future of natural resources and the prosperity of millions around the world today.
The Fish Thief is a result of nearly eight years of production. Filming took place across the entire Great Lakes region in Canada and the United States, with the help and cooperation of tribal communities and First Nations, fisheries biologists, Great Lakes historians, natural resource agencies, conservation and environmental organizations, sport fishing organizations, and concerned citizens. Director Lindsey Haskin also took cameras offshore in Canadian and American waters on scientific research ships, commercial fishing gill net tugs and trap net boats, and private craft helmed by passionate sport anglers.
“The Fish Thief is particularly meaningful to this part of the Great Lakes region and to those who are part of the Owen Sound Salmon Spectacular,” said Marc Gaden, the Commission’s executive secretary. “Without sea lamprey control, there would be few whitefish or other species that, today, are so important to local fisheries. There would be no salmon to catch and no Salmon Spectacular. The Great Lakes as a whole would be a mere shadow of the $7 billion resource we enjoy today.”
While The Fish Thief has been selected for, and shown at, numerous festivals, the film is not yet available to the public as the Commission continues to search for an appropriate service to host the film. Exclusive public screenings like this provide the public the ability to catch a glimpse at this exciting story before it is widely released. Learn more about the film and see the trailer at https://skyhoundmedia.com/.
The Great Lakes Fishery Commission is an international organization established by the United States and Canada through the 1954 Convention on Great Lakes Fisheries. The Commission has the responsibility to support fisheries research, control the invasive sea lamprey in the Great Lakes, and facilitate implementation of A Joint Strategic Plan for Management of Great Lakes Fisheries, a provincial, state, and tribal fisheries management agreement.
