AN OP ED:
Salmon Are Alaskan,
Deserving of Protection
EDITOR’S NOTE: This is the third in a series of commentaries for and against Ballot Measure 1 that the Sentinel will run prior to the Nov. 6 election.
By MICHAEL CHIHULY
We Alaskans are fish people plain and simple. We revere them, catch them, smoke them, can them, pickle them, view them in their natural state, consume them, sell them, share them, and revel in knowing that they prosper among us. Salmon bring nutrients to us from our oceans and breathe life into our wildlife, wetlands, and forests. Fish are a part of who we are whether they are salmon, trout, pike or blackfish. They are the bellweather of our health as a people.
Salmon were decimated, and in many cases extirpated, from western Europe, England, Scotland, Ireland, and North America’s east coast. Only remnants of wild stocks remain in very limited areas. Americans moved westward from our east coast in the 1800s and began to log, build dams, clear land, and grow crops. Salmon lost that battle as well.
Alaska is the last bastion for Pacific salmon. It is time to give them the protection they need. A protection that, literally, the world heretofore has failed to do.
As a former habitat and fisheries biologist and consultant on the gas pipeline in the late 1970s and early 1980s, I am so frustrated with all the misleading information, scare tactics, and negative ads regarding Ballot Proposition #1 in the media today.
The bottom line here is money. No one wants to be forced to get a permit or ask for permission from government to do anything, and none of the large developers want to spend a single dime beyond what is required by current law to protect fisheries and their habitat.
Throughout my entire 60 plus years as an Alaskan resident, biologist, fishing guide, and former Board of Fisheries member, there is one thing I’ve heard over and over from every user group: “Let the biologists do their job! Take the politics out of research, management, allocation and protection!”
Ballot Proposition #1 is a clear honest chance to do that for once! Our current Title 16 salmon protection is outdated, lacks specific criteria and guidelines for fish protection and, worse yet, the go or no-go decision balances perilously on the fulcrum of the current political climate.
Will passage of Proposition #1 make development projects more difficult with more hoops to jump through for resource extractors? For some projects… yes. For others… no. Will Proposition #1 make important development projects obsolete/impossible? Definitely not! Salmon will not take priority over all other resource development in this state (our courts have said so) but it will lay all the cards on the table for all Alaskans to see and weigh in on. Transparency!
Ballot Measure #1, if passed, also gives the Alaska Legislature the option to weigh in on the specifics of the new statute and tweak it accordingly.
Will this cost developers, and ultimately the consumer, more money? An increase in oil or gas prices? An increase in gold prices? An increase in infrastructure and transportation costs? It could. But, if it does, I for one am willing to pay that cost to make sure that our land, habitat and fish resources are protected.
I also stand for jobs, a healthy economy, and wise use of our natural resources.
I ask you to educate yourself on this issue and be sure you understand it before you make a decision. Don’t rely on the Pebble leadership, or the Donlin Gold folks, or BP Alaska, or ConocoPhillips or even the for-profit Alaska Native Corporation leaders to guide you.
Vote your heart and do something good for once for yourself, your family, and all Alaskans. Don’t be afraid to vote yes on Proposition #1. Join me and Stand for Salmon.
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Michael Chihuly, of Ninilchik, is a 60-year resident of Alaska and an avid outdoorsman. He has worked as fisheries consultant and habitat biologist for ADF&G and served on the Alaska Board of Fisheries for three years. He ran a fishing guide service on Cook Inlet for 30 years and has bachelor’s and master’s degrees in fisheries.
ALFA Open House
Dear Editor: Many thanks to all who came out to celebrate Sitka’s fish and fishermen at the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association 4th Annual Alaska Day Open House brunch and black cod tip sale! The event included ALFA’s Smoked Seafood Competition and a visit from Alyse Galvin, independent candidate for the U.S. House of Representatives.
We would also like to thank the staff of Murray Pacific/LFS and Orion Sporting Goods for generously donating prizes for the ALFA smoked seafood contest. Prize winners of the smoked seafood contest were Harold Kalve, Zach Heathman, Charlie Wilbur and Steve Ramp. Our star judges, Robert Woolsey and Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, identified every entry as a winner. Thanks also to those who supported ALFA’s work by purchasing a brunch or lunch of grilled black cod tips and rice. ALFA’s fishermen, Terry Perensovich and Kent Barkhau, marinated and grilled the tips to perfection. It takes a community to host a great event!
The list would be incomplete without thanking our numerous and stellar volunteers: Kelli Leonard, Beth Short, Mary Beth Nelson, Bruce Gazaway, Leah Parr, Angela Hessenius, Jesse Remund, Tad Fujioka, Justin Olbrych, Alyssa Russell and Wendy Alderson. Thank you, volunteers! This event could not have happened without you!
This year’s event focused on ALFA’s Young Fishermen’s Initiative, which helps launch the next generation of community-based fishermen. We provided information about the Young Fishermen’s Development Act, recently introduced into the House and Senate by Alaska’s Congressional delegation.
The legislation would support regional education and training opportunities for young fishermen. You can learn more about the YFDA here: http://www.alfafish.org/youngfishermen/.
Thanks, again, to all who attended. Community members participating in the event had a wonderful time (and lots of black cod tips).
Linda Behnken and
the Staff of Alaska
Longline Fishermen’s Association
