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City officials in Dillingham, Alaska, have requested that the state consider closing the Bristol Bay salmon fishery to protect the region's year-round residents from widespread infection of covid-19.

A letter to Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy from Dillingham Mayor Alice Ruby and First Chief Thomas Tilden of the Curyung Tribal Council urges the governor to consider closing the Bristol Bay commercial salmon fishery to prevent an influx of workers to the region.

"The City of Dillingham and Curyung Tribal Council want to keep the residents of our community, our region and our state safe," the letter reads. "We request that you take immediate action to control the impacts of the entry of the virus to our state, our region and our community by serious consideration to closing the upcoming Bristol Bay commercial salmon fishery."

Read the full letter below.

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Jessica Hathaway is the former editor in chief of National Fisherman.

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