The Blog 

How important is the seafood industry to Alaska and the nation? The industry provides more than 70,500 Alaska jobs, more than oil and gas, mining, tourism and timber combined! At a glance: 62 percent of all U.S. seafood landings come from Alaska, as does 96 percent of all U.S. wild-caught salmon. Seafood is by far Alaska’s No. 1 export, valued at nearly $2 billion!

The latest figures are in from the Bristol Bay Native Corporation, which represents roughly 9000 Bristol Bay Alaska Native shareholders.  BBNC is a regional corporation created by Congress in the 1970’s.

According to a recent article, “BBNC supports responsible resource development, but opposes the Pebble project due to the risks it poses to our fisheries and our Native way of life,” Jason Metrokin, Bristol Bay chief executive.

It’s no surprise.  A new poll from the Bristol Bay Native Corporation shows that a majority of Alaskans oppose the Pebble Mine.  For details, read their press release.

The results are in, and the Lake and Pen Borough has voted for the Save Our Salmon initiative, which  will amend the borough’s development permitting code to prevent the advancement of any large-scale resource extraction activity, including mining activities like the Pebble Mine, which would destroy or degrade salmon habitats. Read more here.

Anglo American’s CEO Cynthia Carroll has promised that they won’t proceed with the mine if the local communities don’t support it.  Over and over, the local communities and commercial fishermen have stated their opposition to the project.  Cynthia Carroll - are you listening?

It’s no surprise that there is overwhelming concern over the impact of the proposed Pebble Mine on the Bristol Bay salmon fishery. It’s the world’s largest wild salmon fishery, and the economic engine for the region. Anglo American, the UK-based company proposing the mine, says that mining and salmon can co-exist, and they point to the Fraser River as an example of that. These two river systems are so different it’s an odd comparison. But, more importantly, it completely undermines (no pun intended) their case. A new paper by two fisheries biologists reports that impaired water quality and human development changes have resulted in the lowest productivity of Fraser River sockeye in over 50 years! “Frasier River sockeye salmon populations are suffering from myriad problems associated with urban and industrial development, leading to dramatic decreases in productivity, multiple fisheries closures, and federal and international population listings.” What? That doesn’t sound good. And, that’s exactly why everyone’s worried about Pebble. Salmon have never fared well in the face of significant industrialization. Read the report here.

Read the article here…

Geochemist Kendra Zamzow explains why the Pebble Mine is different from other Alaska mines in this op-ed in the Bristol Bay Times.  It’s a good read…

Despite Anglo American CEO Cynthia Carroll’s repeated promises that they won’t develop the proposed Pebble Mine if it doesn’t have the support of local communities, it is filing suit against a local effort to vote on whether the communities want the mine. So much for that promise!

The Pebble Limited Partnership (a partnership between Anglo American and Northern Dynasty) are suing to try to prevent local Alaskans from voting on an initiative in October. The ballot measure, if approved, would not allow the planning commission to issue a development permit to any large resource extraction activity that would have a significant adverse impact on salmon-producing streams.

The Alaska Superior court ruled that the vote could move forward, and now the PLP is going to the Alaska Supreme Court to try to challenge the State Court decision, and prevent a local voice on the issue.  Read more here.

Mega-star Robert Redford publicly opposes the Pebble Mine in a full page ad in the New York Times, and places an op-ed in the Huffington Post.

Bristol Bay rivers are considered one of America’s top ten endangered rivers, according to American Rivers report, released last week.  The proposed Pebble Mine threatens the world’s largest remaining wild salmon fishery.  Read more at this press release.