Sad day for salmon...

Ok... I know you all prefer not to get political on this site, but this news just hit WAY too close to home for me to keep my mouth shut.

Our current administration has ordered the EPA to remove protections for wild salmon in Bristol Bay, which essentially gives the Pebble Mine project a green light. The mine is opposed by Native tribes, commercial fishermen, anglers and hunters, conservationists, religious groups, restaurateurs and outdoor enthusiasts.

In my opinion (one I share with many other scientists and engineers like myself) this is a devastating mistake that will have permanent repercussions.

If you care about the future of the worlds salmon fisheries, and if you care about the natural world we will pass along to our children, I urge you to please give this some serious thought...

That is all.

Sincerely,

~Alex




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The current administration is doing allot of things in the background to literally trash the environment for ,,,money.  I'll admit to some mental incapacity in that I can't wrap my head around the overall support for (I'll say it) the Trump administration. But I especially can't fathom the support from people who would generally describe themselves as fishermen and hunters, many of whom like to say they are conservationists as well.

The harm that will come from the loosening of environemntal regs will not be immediate so I very much agree with your statement,  "if you care about the natural world we will pass along to our children, I urge you to please give this some serious thought...".

Saying any more at this point would just launch me into a rant.

What can us Average Californian Citizen do?

Post up in the Politics section.

What a shame. I've worked up in the Bristol Bay region for fisheries research. The lake system sockeye runs are truly magnificent. A unifying resource that crosses religious, political, and core beliefs of many resident Alaskans in the region and one of few remaining flourishing wild runs of Pacific salmon.

What can we do?

- Max

What can us Average Californian Citizen do?

VOTE!!! Talk to friends and neighbors who have different views. Talk to family members who have different views.

Try to find connections - I think all of us here love fishing and camping, even if our views on other subjects don’t always align. Use those connections to start conversations.


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Post up in the Politics section.

This stretches beyond politics.


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What we can do is make our voices heard. Share articles and information - especially to groups of people who might not agree with what you’re saying until they fully understand.


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Everyone always wants to point fingers and blame the others for what they believe is right or wrong. Especially when it comes to evil company's that are mining or logging. These days knowone wants to see any good in corporations.

Water diversion for pot gardens have made spawning waters none existent. No body wants to address this!

Some of our nations best conservation efforts started out in the 1800's and was funded by donations from tax paying companies that helped the local communities despite the opinions of some.
 We all have a right to our opinions.

For many years in the 60's, 70's&80's we had great salmon runs in the eel, van duzen, trinity, Klamath, and smith rivers.
Yager creek had a great impact on the salmon with its hatchery.
The hatcheries were funded and manned by the local timber companies,Our roads were well maintained and not pot holed out and hazardous.
In the 80's&90's the timber companies came under attack by tree hugging environmentalists, that cared more for critters than people.

 Many donations came from responsible companies for the people of the state. Most of the Redwood State parks were donated by the Pacific lumber Co. as were the fish hatcheries.

Here's a look at some early history.

http://content.cdlib.org/view?docId=kt5k4004bd&brand=calisphere&doc.view=entire_text

Stop diverting water and build more hatcheries!
Just my opinion
4est

The main issue that started this thread is the proposed gold mine in Alaska and the threat of toxic discharge that comes from processing gold bearing ore. The Sacramento watershed was greatly damaged by gold mining in the 1800's and SF bay still carries a load of mercury from that ore processing. Alaska's revenue from salmon is far greater than the value of gold that might come out of that watershed. Extraction companies are not necessarily evil but they are self interested and their bottom line comes before other interests. Unrestricted logging in the late 1800's and 1900's in the SF/North Bay area silted up and ruined for spawning most of the streams. Hatcheries, even if financed by logging companies, only lessen the damage somewhat. They do not restore wild fish runs. Salmon fishing, even as late as the 1950's had 50 pound Sac river fish caught in the ocean.No more. The grade has dropped dramatically. As late as the 1980's when I fished commercially there were days when a days catch averaged 20 pounds ...dressed. Not anymore. The genetic's of size have been altered. Water, cool and unrestricted by dams is needed and we won't ever get back to that in our lifetime if ever. I welcome all attempts to increase fisheries via hatcheries but they cannot restore what's been lost. Only in Alaska, where there are no salmon hatcheries of any scale, do the salmon run wild as they have for thousands of years. Gold isn't worth the risk of ruining that.

Thanks for posting, Charles. Very well said.


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