Earlier today, fishmongers from Pike Place Fish Market put their fish-throwing skills to the test when they fed Woodland Park Zoo's 750-pound grizzly bears.

"We love doing this kind of stuff," said Ryan Reese, a fishmonger and Ballard graduate of 1996. "It's nice to get out of the market, too. This is part of our program. Instead of tossing these fish and throwing them away what better thing to do than to save them and feed the bears. We are 100-percent sustainable and have been doing this since January, 2010."

Ryan Reese, fishmonger and Ballard graduate, puts on a show. Photo by Steve Shay

The toss was to promote the zoo's annual Bear Affair, Pacific Northwest Conservation, which will focus on bears, wolves, raptors and other Pacific Northwest wildlife. Bear Affair is a signature event of Seattle Science Festival, the largest celebration of science in the Pacific Northwest. For event details, visit www.seattlesciencefestival.org.

Chum salmon, the least expensive kind of salmon, were used to feed the bears. Though they have blemishes, they are still "human grade."

Jenny Pramuk, animal curator at the Woodland Park Zoo, catches a fish. Photo by Steve Shay

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