Dear Editor: Every summer in late July, my family prepares for the sockeye run. For a couple weeks, our lives revolve around the tides, conditions, weather, and fish. We spend long days processing salmon: cutting, filleting, smoking, drying, freezing, and canning, so our pantries and freezers are stocked for the next year. Salmon is not a luxury in our household, it’s a staple. For my family, this yearly process is survival, tradition, and culture, which is why protecting Southeast Alaska’s fisheries is essential to our future.
Growing up in Sitka on Tlingit land, and as an Inupiaq child, I have seen how deeply connected this community is to the ocean. Salmon, halibut, rockfish, cod, abalone, and other seafood is/are the most heavily relied-upon natural resources in SE Alaska. They support families, commercial boats, charter operators, as well as entire local economies. As stated by Alaska Department of Fish and Game, salmon hold a critical role in Alaska’s subsistence, commercial, and sport fisheries. When salmon populations decline, the effects are felt across all local communities.
Over the years, I have noticed changes that have become increasingly more difficult to ignore. Salmon returns grow less reliable, and the fish themselves appear smaller and less healthy as they were in years past. Some fishing seasons are far less successful, even for commercial fishermen. Talk spreads from dock to home about concern for habitats as even more damage is caused by large-scale trawlers. Local fishermen, (including commercial and charter) talk about declining catches, and how large halibut and cod are becoming less common as seasons continue. These patterns point to long-term stress in our fisheries.
Science supports what many Sitkans, and other Alaskans, see firsthand. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration reports that warming ocean temperatures affect fish growth, survival, and migration patterns. This includes salmon return rates. As waters grow warmer, fish move farther north or into deeper waters. This shift threatens Southeast Alaska’s access to species that have sustained communities here for generations. Climate change is not a distant problem for Alaska—it is already affecting our marine habitats and ecosystems.
If these trends continue, future generations may not be lucky enough to experience the strong salmon runs that define Southeast Alaska. Families may lose a major source of food security. Jobs tied to fishing and tourism will decline. Cultural practices connected to the sea are at risk of being lost. Protecting fisheries does not mean ending fishing. It means capping limits and managing fisheries responsibly. Sustainable practices, science-based regulations, and holding large industrial operations accountable, are all necessary in order to ensure healthy, long-term fishing seasons for our future generations.
As a Sitka High student, I worry about what the future holds if we continue our current path. Protecting Southeast Alaska’s fisheries is about more than preserving fish populations. It’s about protecting survival, culture, livelihoods, and identity, as well as fish and habitats. The salmon runs that fill our freezers each summer are not guaranteed. If we want future generations to stand where we stand today – processing fish, sharing stories, and living off the ocean – we have to act now. Protecting Southeast Alaska’s fisheries will protect our future on the ocean, and the generations to come.
Bella Schmidt, Sitka
