Since 2010, I have fought alongside the Natural Resources Defense Council to stop the Pebble Mine -- a colossal open-pit copper-and-gold mine that a consortium of global mining giants want to gouge out of the spectacular untamed wilderness above Alaska's Bristol Bay.
Nothing like this place exists anywhere else on Earth.
Tens of millions of salmon course through this unspoiled Eden, feeding not just an abundance of bears, whales, seals and eagles but also the Alaskan Native communities that have thrived here for thousands of years. Salmon are the backbone of the region -- a renewable resource supporting a commercial fishing industry worth around $480 million a year. The fishery provides 14,000 full and part-time jobs, whereas the Pebble Mine promises only 1,000 permanent jobs.
The Pebble Mine is a disaster waiting to happen.
Now, a long-awaited study by the Environmental Protection Agency has confirmed that the Pebble Mine — along with its estimated 10 billion tons of mining waste — would spell disaster for Bristol Bay, its legendary salmon runs, its pristine environment and its people.
Read the full story at the Huffington Post>>
Callifornia crabbing: Here's a fun video shot on the decks of the Majestik while catching Dungeness crab off the coast of northern California.
Alaska fisherman and commercial fisheries activist Kevin Adams was elected chairman at the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute board of directors meeting on May 9 in Anchorage.
The governor-appointed board consists of seven members: five seafood processors and two industry representatives actively engaged in commercial fishing. Adams was appointed to fill a harvester seat by Gov. Frank Murkowski in 2004.
With 38 years of fishing experience in Bristol Bay, Adams has long been an active member in the Alaska fishing industry, ASMI says. He has worked for both the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation and the Bering Sea Fisherman's Association, and represents Alaska fishermen on numerous boards.
The Northeast Regional Planning Body, a group of state, tribal and federal representatives from New England who are working to implement the National Ocean Policy and address critical New England ocean issues, is holding a series of public meetings in May and June.
The meetings are being held to discuss draft regional ocean planning goals and associated potential actions. The planning body seeks input on these goals and actions. Additional information on the group's progress can be found here.
The meetings will also provide an opportunity to review draft maps and products from initial efforts to gather information on the natural resources and diverse uses of the ocean, including fishing, transportation, energy and infrastructure, aquaculture, and recreation.
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