Skip to: Content
Skip to: Site Navigation
Skip to: Search

December 2, 2008 12:02:07 PM CST

Learn about Newser Points »

« Back to the grid | Next story »

Price of Gold: Alaska's Salmon

Posted Dec 25, 07 7:04 AM CST in Business,  US 

(Newser) – The world's largest sockeye salmon fishery, located in the Bristol Bay area of Alaska, is threatened with destruction by a proposed gold mine, which could become the biggest in North America. The planned Pebble Mine has polarized the state; mining companies, on the one hand, and environmentalists and commercial fishing interests, on the other, are waging fierce lobbying campaigns, the Washington Post reports.

The target is a native Alaskan community of a few thousand whose traditional lifestyle is heavily dependent on sockeye, but  who are also attracted to potential jobs. "If we can't show to the satisfaction of the local people that we can protect the fisheries, we will not advance this project," said a mining company spokesman.

Source Washington Post

0 comments | Print E-mail | Digg Seed this on Newsvine Add this link to Del.icio.us StumbleUpon

Related Newser Stories

  • Alaskan Salmon Sick of Climate Change

    Jun 14, 08 7:24 PM CDT
    Alaskan Salmon Sick of Climate Change Alaskan king salmon are getting sick, and experts have named a culprit: global warming. Marine ecologists say that a rise in "white spot disease" is tied to a 3-decade trend of higher temperatures in the Yukon River, the Los Angeles Times reports. With cold-temperature barriers melting, parasites and bacteria are moving north—and threatening Alaska's prized salmon stock. More »

  • It's Time to Give Up Salmon

    Jun 9, 08 8:16 AM CDT
    It's Time to Give Up Salmon Salmon is supposed to be the perfect indulgence: low in saturated fats, high in omega-3 fatty acids, cheaper than ever at your local supermarket. But Taras Grescoe thinks you should stop eating it anyway. Wild salmon populations are dying off, he writes in the New York Times, thanks mostly to man-made habitat problems and overfishing. And the farmed salmon that's taken over grocery store shelves is not the healthy alternative it appears to be. More »

  • Fishermen Shoot Sea Lions in Battle Over Salmon

    May 5, 08 11:43 AM CDT
    Six  federally protected sea lions were shot to death along the Columbia River in Washington yesterday as they lay in traps set to move them to another region, AP reports. Three elephant seals were killed the previous day in California. All were apparently the victims of a battle between fishermen and the animals that feed on endangered salmon. Officials had planned to move up to 85 seals a year out of the Washington area, but have now suspended trapping as they investigate. More »

  • Alarmed Feds Cancel Salmon Season

    Apr 11, 08 5:10 AM CDT
    Alarmed Feds Cancel Salmon Season In drastic action to stop the collapse of the West Coast salmon population, a federal fisheries council is banning salmon fishing off California and most of Oregon for the rest of the year, reports the San Francisco Chronicle. "This is a disaster," said the council chairman. The number of salmon spawning in California's Sacramento River system has plunged some 94% in six years. More »

  • Pacific Salmon Season in Peril

    Mar 12, 08 4:30 PM CDT
    Pacific Salmon Season in Peril A shortage of salmon in the waters along the Pacific coast has driven regulators to consider a ban on salmon-fishing this season, the San Francisco Chronicle reports. The Pacific Fishery Management Council has never recommended canceling the season before, and about 1,000 commercial fishermen could see their livelihood devastated by a final decision, due in April. More »

A proposed giant gold mine 160 miles south west of Anchorage Alaska would produce millions of tons of waste, devastate the region's salmon fishery and make drastic inroads into traditional ways of life...   (Magnum Photos)
A proposed giant gold mine 160 miles south west of Anchorage Alaska would produce millions of tons of waste, devastate the region's salmon fishery and make drastic inroads into traditional ways of life...   (Magnum Photos)
Salmon caught in Bristol Bay Alaska. It is feared a proposed giant gold mine, which would produce millions of tons of waste, would devastate the region's salmon fishery.   (Treehugger)
« Prev« Prev | Next »Next » Slideshow
Our editors also recommend:

Gold Rush

Threads (
1
 of 2)

Tags

Alaska • fish • salmon • sockeye salmon


Loading...

Premium Articles from HighBeam

Find more articles like this

Today's Most Popular

Loading...

Other US Stories

What is Newser?

2008 Codie Finalist

Face it: there's too much news. At Newser a team of editors and writers culls the most important stories from hundreds of U.S. and international sources and reduces them to a headline, picture, and two paragraphs. It's the Newser guarantee: we can take any report or column or video and pack what you need to know into 120 words or less. Newser's short-form aggregation, visual format, and unique information tools help you get more of the kind of news you want, in a quicker and more entertaining way. And we do it 24/7—you can come back morning, noon, night (and in between) for something new that matters. Read less, know more.

Learn more »