Overview

Alaska's billion-dollar fishing industry is one of the most closely monitored in the world, but there are several causes for concern.  The poster child of US fisheries management is in need of a major makeover. Fortunately, Alaska's waters have not faced heavy fishing pressure for as long as many other regions, and the situation is not yet as dire as it is elsewhere. It is not too late to protect Alaska's ecosystems, fisheries, and communities.

Bearing Witness and Taking Action

Building on decades of campaigning to protect Alaska's marine and terrestrial ecosystems, we returned to the Bering Sea in 2006 with the aim of taking a fresh approach to the issues and peoples of the region. We established relationships with Native and fishing dependent communities, documented the wild beauty of the region and her inhabitants, and worked with scientists who are deepening the understanding of the ecosystem.

Our return to the Bering Sea this year will build on the ground we laid in 2006, and on the momentum created by the recent designations of marine reserves in Hawaii, California, and Florida.  We will be actively promoting the designation of marine reserves in a region that encompasses 900,000 square miles of ocean without any areas closed to all fishing. 

By demonstrating that Alaska fisheries management - the poster child of  "sustainable" fisheries - is failing, and by working to improve it, we can raise the bar for oceans stewardship worldwide.

Going Deep

The Bering Sea is home to some of the largest submarine canyons in the world.  These unique habitats are likely to be home for creatures that have yet to be seen with human eyes.  In fact, due to their geographic isolation, there are believed to be species living in the depths of the canyons that can be found nowhere else on earth.

As part of our ship tour, we will lead an expedition to document previously unexplored canyon habitats in hopes of making a legally and publicly compelling case for conservation of these important areas. Learn more.

Native Traditions under Threat

Alaska native culture is inextricably tied to subsistence harvest.  When traditional foods are no longer available, the traditions themselves begin to die out.

This summer we will be returning to some of the villages we visited last year as we expand our outreach to other communities of the Bering Sea to broaden and strengthen support for Marine Heritage Zones. Learn more.

Ending where we Began

The history of western impact on the Aleutians includes fur hunting, fishing, missionaries, WWII, and nuclear testing on the island of Amchitka, the protesting of which helped spawn Greenpeace.

We will end our expedition in Amchitka with a ceremony led by Alaska Native elders at an Unangan gravesite. Highlighted will be Alaska Native connections to the Bering Sea eco-region, reflections on the changes taking place all around them and a vision for the future.