Preparing the Persian Fisher for restoration
THE DELTA FISHING HERITAGE SOCIETY (DFHS) has undertaken restoration of a 35-foot heritage gillnet boat called the ‘Persian Fisher’, believed to have been built by Kishi Boatworks in Steveston, BC in the 1930s. While the boat has undergone modifications in its lifetime, it remains a classic example of a salmon fishing vessel of its age.
Our research shows the boat was confiscated by the Government of Canada during World War 2 as part of the internment of Japanese citizens. It was subsequently purchased by the Bell Irving family, owners of ABC Packing, a major fish processor of that era. George Petrunia of Queensborough purchased the boat in the early 1960s, which was fished by Dave Petrunia until 1973. It was then sold to Murray Dobrilla of Ladner, who in turn sold the boat to Patrick Murphy, also of Ladner. The Persian Fisher was retired in 1977 and put in dry storage.
The Murphy family donated the boat to the DFHS in 2015, with the gillnetter being moved to its present location for purposes of restoring the boat, which is now approximately 50% complete. Despite restoration efforts being delayed by the pandemic, we anticipate this project will be fully completed by 2023.
DFHS is collaborating with the City of Delta to determine the best possible location to display the Persian Fisher as an interactive exhibit that will serve as an educational fixture and tourist attraction. It will provide Delta’s children, citizens and visitors to our community with an emotional and tactile experience by being able to physically touch and participate by accessing the boat.
The Persian Fisher installation would be ‘historic’, representative of the rich fishing heritage of Delta with the display capturing some of the romance and hardship of life and times on a salmon gillnet fisher.
To view photo gallery of Persian Fisher restoration, click here.
If you wish to receive more information on this project, please contact the Society.
John Stevens
President, DFHS
