Anchorage, Alaska —
In response to last night’s decision by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council to set a bycatch hard cap of 60,000 for Chinook salmon, also known as King salmon, Greenpeace oceans campaigner, George Pletnikoff, an Unangan Alaska Native, issued the following statement:
“Letting the pollock trawlers take more than their fair share of salmon puts thousands of Alaskan families – and the Bering Sea’s bounty – under intense pressure at the worst possible time. Careless and unnecessary bycatch by the big pollock trawlers have already reduced the number of salmon returning to their ancestral streams, adding to the hardship everyone is feeling from the tough economy. Alaska Natives and others who rely on the salmon for their livelihood are working hard to overcome our economic challenges to put food on the table. The last thing they need is for the pollock trawlers to sweep in and suck up their main source of income.
“Of course, people aren’t the only ones who will suffer from this decision. Seals, bears, sea birds, and endangered steller seal lions also need healthy salmon populations to thrive. A healthy Bering Sea will maintain the natural heritage that makes Alaska great and continue to attract visitors from all over the world who provide essential income in tough times.”
