Sushihunter
Active Member
http://newsminer.com/news/2008/aug/31/stop-salmon-bycatch-insanity/?opinion
Stop salmon bycatch insanity
Western Alaska has had enough
George Pletnikoff, Community Perspective
Published Sunday, August 31, 2008
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council usually holds its meetings at the Hilton Hotel in Anchorage four times a year. And although no one says it, the process is a “good ol’ boys” conference. My brother is fond of telling me the industry writes the regulations. But even though the cards are stacked up against me and others who have concerns and try to offer alternatives for habitat protection, I attend. It’s part of my responsibility.
One of the phrases bantered about the halls of the hotel is “best available science.” The use of that term is like saying “best available truth.” Remember the most famous question ever asked in all of humanity? “What is truth?” And so I wonder, what is “best available science?” What does that mean and how does that help our people in the villages?
The council and Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez of the U.S. Department of Commerce have a problem. What does “best available science” or “best available truth” say about the out-of-control salmon bycatch problems in Western Alaska?
The problem is this. Huge industrialized fishing machines use huge nets in the waters of the southern Bering Sea, just north of the Alaska Peninsula, to fish for 3.2 billion pounds of pollock, the total allowable catch from both the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea.
And as they have vacuumed up these fish — an important food source for the fish we depend upon for our survival — they “accidentally caught” millions of salmon during the past 30 years in their pursuit of happiness. This is bycatch.
In 2004, they caught — as far as we know — 63,000 king salmon. In 2005, 75,000 kings. Chum salmon took a huge hit. In 2004, 447,000 chums, and in 2005, 700,000 chums.
That’s according to their best available truth. If I remember correctly, in 2007 they said they caught 120,000 king salmon while in pursuit of their happiness. Never mind that villages’ food security depends upon these fish.
The song and dance is getting old. Outside multinational fishing companies are meeting with the federal government in a hotel somewhere, destroying our homes. Destroying our dreams. Destroying our children. And saying, well, sorry, it’s legal.
It may be legal, but it is immoral.
A really good friend of mine once told me: “Our commercial fishing season for king salmon on the Kuskokwim River lasted for 60 minutes, all year!” And he has a family, children. And he cannot do anything about it because like you and me, he is poor. He cannot afford to attend a meeting in a hotel somewhere to testify for three minutes about his concerns. Nor can he afford a lawyer or a lobbyist.
And so, he hears “best available science” spoken from reputable scientists and NPFMC members. And to further add salt to the wound, the council is only an advisory council. Secretary Gutierrez makes the final decision. Sen. Ted Stevens, in his wisdom, set it up like this through the Magnuson-Stevens act.
The NPFMC says it has a solution to deal with this salmon bycatch, stolen fish problem. Here it is, in brief: Let’s not force our good buddies to suffer too much. After all, they are our buds. Let’s let them continue stealing food from the people on the Kuskokwim River, but, really, not too much. Lets put a cap on how much they can take out of the mouths of our children.
And further, let’s let one of the biggest fishing companies that participates in this immoral practice — Trident Seafoods — give that fish to Bean’s Café in Anchorage to feed the hungry. Peter stealing from Paul to feed people? And now, others are caught up in the circle of destruction being used to make themselves feel better about what they are doing and getting a huge tax write-off to boot.
The only real solution to this problem is stop it. Stop the insane practice of bycatch. Stop raiding our people’s food. Stop. And use your “best available science” to figure out how not to do it any more. You can afford it. We cannot even afford to feed our children.
We, the people in Western Alaska, have had enough of supporting your pursuit of happiness. We need to pursue ours and that of our children.
George Pletnikoff is Unangan from the Pribilof Islands. He now works for Greenpeace as the Alaska Oceans Campaigner in Anchorage.
Jim's Fishing Charters
www.JimsFishing.com
http://ca.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250
Stop salmon bycatch insanity
Western Alaska has had enough
George Pletnikoff, Community Perspective
Published Sunday, August 31, 2008
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council usually holds its meetings at the Hilton Hotel in Anchorage four times a year. And although no one says it, the process is a “good ol’ boys” conference. My brother is fond of telling me the industry writes the regulations. But even though the cards are stacked up against me and others who have concerns and try to offer alternatives for habitat protection, I attend. It’s part of my responsibility.
One of the phrases bantered about the halls of the hotel is “best available science.” The use of that term is like saying “best available truth.” Remember the most famous question ever asked in all of humanity? “What is truth?” And so I wonder, what is “best available science?” What does that mean and how does that help our people in the villages?
The council and Secretary Carlos M. Gutierrez of the U.S. Department of Commerce have a problem. What does “best available science” or “best available truth” say about the out-of-control salmon bycatch problems in Western Alaska?
The problem is this. Huge industrialized fishing machines use huge nets in the waters of the southern Bering Sea, just north of the Alaska Peninsula, to fish for 3.2 billion pounds of pollock, the total allowable catch from both the Gulf of Alaska and the Bering Sea.
And as they have vacuumed up these fish — an important food source for the fish we depend upon for our survival — they “accidentally caught” millions of salmon during the past 30 years in their pursuit of happiness. This is bycatch.
In 2004, they caught — as far as we know — 63,000 king salmon. In 2005, 75,000 kings. Chum salmon took a huge hit. In 2004, 447,000 chums, and in 2005, 700,000 chums.
That’s according to their best available truth. If I remember correctly, in 2007 they said they caught 120,000 king salmon while in pursuit of their happiness. Never mind that villages’ food security depends upon these fish.
The song and dance is getting old. Outside multinational fishing companies are meeting with the federal government in a hotel somewhere, destroying our homes. Destroying our dreams. Destroying our children. And saying, well, sorry, it’s legal.
It may be legal, but it is immoral.
A really good friend of mine once told me: “Our commercial fishing season for king salmon on the Kuskokwim River lasted for 60 minutes, all year!” And he has a family, children. And he cannot do anything about it because like you and me, he is poor. He cannot afford to attend a meeting in a hotel somewhere to testify for three minutes about his concerns. Nor can he afford a lawyer or a lobbyist.
And so, he hears “best available science” spoken from reputable scientists and NPFMC members. And to further add salt to the wound, the council is only an advisory council. Secretary Gutierrez makes the final decision. Sen. Ted Stevens, in his wisdom, set it up like this through the Magnuson-Stevens act.
The NPFMC says it has a solution to deal with this salmon bycatch, stolen fish problem. Here it is, in brief: Let’s not force our good buddies to suffer too much. After all, they are our buds. Let’s let them continue stealing food from the people on the Kuskokwim River, but, really, not too much. Lets put a cap on how much they can take out of the mouths of our children.
And further, let’s let one of the biggest fishing companies that participates in this immoral practice — Trident Seafoods — give that fish to Bean’s Café in Anchorage to feed the hungry. Peter stealing from Paul to feed people? And now, others are caught up in the circle of destruction being used to make themselves feel better about what they are doing and getting a huge tax write-off to boot.
The only real solution to this problem is stop it. Stop the insane practice of bycatch. Stop raiding our people’s food. Stop. And use your “best available science” to figure out how not to do it any more. You can afford it. We cannot even afford to feed our children.
We, the people in Western Alaska, have had enough of supporting your pursuit of happiness. We need to pursue ours and that of our children.
George Pletnikoff is Unangan from the Pribilof Islands. He now works for Greenpeace as the Alaska Oceans Campaigner in Anchorage.
Jim's Fishing Charters
www.JimsFishing.com
http://ca.youtube.com/user/Sushihunter250
