Mossback's Northwest: Pirates of the Salish Sea

Cascade PBS released “Mossback’s Northwest: Pirates of the Salish Sea,” a documentary exploring nautical crime in the late 1800s and early 1900s. The episode examines notorious smugglers like Lawrence “Larry” Kelly and Henry Ferguson who trafficked opium, Chinese laborers, and stolen goods across Puget Sound, as well as “fish pirates” who raided salmon trap nets for profit. The piracy era ended by the 1920s due to opium bans, reduced salmon runs, and trap net restrictions.