Bering Witness - Overview
The Bering Sea hangs in the balance due to harmful fishing practices such as bottom-trawling and a single-species management approach that fails to consider the impact of removing billions of pounds of fish on the rest of the ecosystem. Populations of many commercially important fish and crabs have begun to decline.
Where Have the Fish Gone?
The Bering Sea is one of the wildest regions in the world and the source of half the seafood caught in the United States. Excessive fishing is threatening the food supply for marine mammals, birds and Native communities who depend on a healthy marine ecosystem for their survival.
Although, Alaska's billion-dollar fishing industry is one of the most closely monitored in the world, there are several causes for concern. The poster child of U.S. fisheries management is in need of a major makeover.
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 ocean 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. Find out more about the deep-sea canyons of the Bering Sea >>
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.
Greenpeace is pushing for the creation of Marine Cultural Heritage Zones in the Bering Sea. These areas give fishing dependent communities the ability to ensure that their traditional and subsistence needs will be met. The future of many native cultures and traditions is dependent on the continued health of the Bering, and the creation of Marine Cultural Heritage Zones can help to ensure both.
Learn more about Native communities in the Bering Sea >>
Our Roots
Greenpeace's very first protest took place in the Bering Sea in 1971. A handful of determined activists leased a small fishing vessel, called the Phyllis Cormack, and set sail from Vancouver for Amchitka Island in Alaska. Their mission was to protest U.S. nuclear testing off the coast of Alaska with a brave act of defiance: to place themselves in harm's way. Despite being intercepted by the U.S. Coast Guard, these daring activists sailed into history by bringing worldwide attention to the dangers of nuclear testing.
As we continue our work in the Bering Sea, we are still committed to using creative means and modern technology to defend our oceans for the benefit of future generations.