An iconic symbol of Issaquah has been deliberately damaged twice within a few days.
The bronze male salmon statue at the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery was cut twice, most likely with a saw, said Robin Kelley, executive director of Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery (FISH). The statue, which is named Finley stands next to its female partner, Gilda; both were created by late artist Thomas Jay.
On Oct. 18, a FISH docent first noticed a cut about 1.5 inches deep on the salmon’s back. Kelley said that it had likely happened not long before; since tour groups routinely take photos in front of the salmon statues, it would have been noticed right away.
“We were discouraged because tours all take pictures with the statue,” Kelley said.
The crime was reported to the Issaquah Police Department, and right away, FISH made sure to get the cut filled in.
However, that night, the unknown vandal returned to do even more damage. When FISH volunteers returned the next day, they found that the previous cut had been deepened and lengthened.
“It’s a pretty significant cut,” Kelley said. “We were very concerned that they’d come back and do more.”
FISH has taken defensive measures to safeguard against future vandalism, including installing lights and video surveillance around the property. The extra security appears to be working; there have been no further incidents since the night of Oct. 18.
Meanwhile, FISH is looking for a bronze specialist to fix the statue in a way that doesn’t change the look of the artwork. Kelley does not have an estimate yet of how much this will cost.
The motive for the crime is still a mystery.
“We don’t know what the person was thinking … there is no way for us to know,” Kelley said. She said the reason for the crime could be anything from hoping to sell the bronze to simply liking to cause trouble.
The vandalized salmon does serve as a piggy bank that people can put coins or dollar bills into to donate to FISH, but Kelley said that there is never very much cash inside the salmon at any time.
“It’s emptied daily,” she said. If grabbing the cash was the motive, “they weren’t going to get a significant amount of money.”
The deliberate damage to one of Issaquah’s most well-known and treasured pieces of artwork is extremely upsetting for Kelley, a native of Issaquah who grew up going to the hatchery.
“It’s very upsetting and distressing because [the statues] are … hugely popular and a focal point of the community,” Kelley said.
She said that it is especially heartbreaking because the artist, Thomas Jay, is no longer living and can therefore never create another statue.
According to Kelley, an attack on the salmon statues is an attack on a symbol of the town.
“They’ve been here for so long … they represent the community,” she said.
Anyone with any information on the malicious act should contact the Issaquah Police Department at 425-837-3200.
