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News Articles
Following is a selection of recent news articles about Bristol Bay. Click into any news story to read the full article.
Compass: Protect Bristol Bay and Bering Sea Fisheries for Keeps
May 13, 2013
Anchorage Daily News
The question of offshore oil and gas development has hung over Bristol Bay and the southeast Bering Sea for 35 years. Lease sales have been scheduled, fought, sold and repurchased only to be scheduled again once temporary moratoriums expired or were lifted.
Enough already. Sustainable fisheries and a healthy ecosystem have been economic engines for Southwest Alaska for more than 125 years and the foundation of traditional ways of life there for close to 10,000 years. These world-renowned fisheries deserve to be safeguarded in perpetuity, and the people who depend on them for their livelihoods deserve some certainty.
Bristol Bay boasts the world's largest run of wild sockeye salmon, returning from years in the open ocean to the many tributaries and lakes of the watershed for spawning. The region has averaged returns of over 37 million salmon annually over the past 20 years. The proposed oil and gas leasing area lies in the path of both the in-migration and out-migration of these salmon stocks. This area also features lucrative groundfish fisheries, critical halibut nursery grounds and the heart of the prized red king crab fishery.
Salmon Camp 2013
April 10, 2013
University of Alaska
All high school students from around the state looking for an interesting summer opportunity are invited to apply to attend Salmon Camp 2013, which will be held from July 24th – 30th on the shores of Lake Aleknagik in Southwest Alaska. Space is still available for this fun, intensive and exciting science based field camp.
We are looking for students from across Alaska who want to take part in a wilderness experience in Bristol Bay while learning about the natural history of salmon, the environment, sustainable and renewable energies and more.
The annual camp is partnership between the Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation and the UAF Bristol Bay Campus with assistance from the US Fish and Wildlife Service and NOAA. Students will earn 1 college credit from the UAF Bristol Bay Campus. Numerous scholarships covering travel and the camp costs are available, apply today!
Applications forms, videos of past camps, and more information can be found here: http://www.uaf.edu/bbesl/ecosystem-health/summer/ High school students living in a BBEDC community can contact Pearl or Charlene at BBEDC (907) 842-4370 for more information about attending Salmon Camp.
If you have any other questions call the UAF Bristol Bay Campus at 907-842-5109.
Farewell live chat for outgoing Secretary Salazar that was hosted by Dept. of Interior
April 3, 2013
Dept. of the Interior, You Tube
Farewell live chat for outgoing Secretary Salazar that was hosted by Dept. of Interior mentions protecting Bristol Bay.
Increased Surveys of Halibut Stock Planned
March 15, 2013
SitNews
"Halibut scientists plan to expand the yearly Pacific stock assessments by 30% next summer, adding 390 survey stations to the existing 1,300 already in use from Oregon to the Bering Sea."
A Fish-focused Year in Review
January 4, 2013
Bristol Bay Times
"Alaska's seafood industry worked hard this year to ramp up its message to policy makers, especially those from rail belt regions who tend to overlook the industry's economic significance.
How important is the seafood industry to Alaska and the nation? At a glance:
nearly 60 percent of all U.S. seafood landings come from Alaska and 96 percent of all wild- caught salmon. Seafood is by far Alaska's No. 1 export, valued at $2.4 billion last year. Alaska ranks ninth in the world in terms of global seafood production."
Harvest Allocations For Bristol Bay Drifters, Setnetters Remain Unchanged
January 3, 2013
Alaskapublic.org
During December’s meeting the Alaska Board of Fisheries turned down an effort to make major changes to the allocation percentages for drifters and setnetters in Bristol Bay’s massive commercial sockeye fishery.
Bristol Bay 2013 sockeye salmon run prediction: 26 million fish
November 28, 2012
Cordova Times
"State biologists studying the nine river systems of the Bristol Bay watershed are predicting a run of 26.03 million sockeye salmon in 2013, with a forecast range of 17.30-34.76 million fish, and a harvest of 16.6 million reds."
Advocacy Group Pushing for Offshore Drilling Ban
August 31, 2012
KDLG
Listen to a short story about a new report on the value of Alaska's Bristol Bay which highlights the ecosystem and fisheries there -
Bristol Bay salmon runs fare better than elsewhere in Alaska
August 19, 2012
Alaska Dispatch
The last of the pink salmon are wending their way to spawning grounds and used gear is stripped and stored for next year.
Fishermen are moving vessels to dry storage and cleaning cabins of their summer supplies.
For better or worse, the 2012 Bristol Bay salmon season has run its course, with some areas of the bay showing surprising highs and others unexpected lows compared to forecast.
With a bay-wide harvest of 22 million sockeye, it was just over last year's harvest and not a bad season when compared to historical averages -- though the success of individual fishermen certainly varied between the districts.
Donation program brings local fish to school lunches
July 27, 2012
Bristol Bay Times
Six years ago, the only fish being served in the schools of one of the richest fishing regions in the nation were breaded, battered farmed fish from distant shores.
A conversation between a school district chef and a supervisor at Peter Pan Seafoods in Dillingham changed all that. Now, a program encouraging fishermen to donate fish to the school lunch program is an annual event, and other areas of the state are following suit.
The Fish for Kids program is run and supported by Peter Pan Seafoods in Dillingham, and allows fishermen to allocate a certain number of pounds of their deliveries to the processor toward school lunches. Organizers keep a running tally of the number of pounds of fish each fisherman dedicates to the program, with a goal of reaching 12,000 round pounds each year. Donations range from 50 to 1,000 pounds with as many as 50 fishermen contributing to the program. In recent years, Peter Pan has donated thousands of pounds of fish when the amount donated by fishermen didn't reach the goal. In addition, the company donates the cost of processing the fish.
In the end, schools in the Dillingham area, as well as Southwest Region schools in villages in the Bristol Bay region have received some 6,000 pounds ...
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