A citizens group that sought greater protection for salmon habitat in advance of development of a coal mining venture says the state of Alaska is putting fisheries at risk by not providing that additional protection.
As the Copper River harvest begins to wind down, commercial harvesters from Cook Inlet to Chignik, Kodiak and Bristol Bay are starting to deliver, with the catch as of June 19 at 5,116,000 salmon of all species delivered.
Five Senate Democrats representing West Coast states told President Barack Obama on June 10 that his administration should consider the impact on the West Coast fishing industry before permitting a large-scale mine in Alaska’s Bristol Bay region.
A group of more than 230 scientists is urging Congress to enact stronger protections for wild salmon in the Tongass National Forest in southeast Alaska by supporting a legislative proposal called the Tongass 77.