Unprecedented Bipartisan Coalition Discusses Effort to Protect Alaska’s Biggest Wild Salmon Fishery, Jobs and Native Culture

"The Allen River Enters Lake Chauekuktuli" Photograph © 2011 Robert Glenn Ketchum. For Display Use Only, No Permission to Reproduce in Any Form.

Unprecedented Bipartisan Coalition Discusses Effort to Protect Alaska’s Biggest Wild Salmon Fishery, Jobs and Native Culture

Unique group in Washington, D.C. all week to call on White House and federal Environmental Protection Agency

With the future of the world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery in danger from a proposed copper and gold mine, the broad, bipartisan Save Bristol Bay coalition – ranging from Alaska Natives to commercial fishermen, chefs, jewelers, sportsmen and more – have brought their fight to protect Bristol Bay, Alaska and its sustainable salmon to Washington, D.C.

The week-long Save Bristol Bay week in Washington, D.C. includes:

• Delivery of a letter to the EPA from 200 chefs and restaurant owners around the country
• Visits to congressional members
• Bristol Bay wild salmon served at more than 20 D.C.-area restaurants
• A Congressional Reception with honorary hosts Sen. Mark Begich (R-AK), Sen. Maria Cantwell (D- WA) and New York Times best-selling author Paul Greenberg.
• National telepress conference to urge the Environmental Protection Agency to protect Bristol Bay: Paul Greenberg, Journalist and Author of “Four Fish: The Future of the Last Wild Food”; Peter Andrew, Alaska Native leader, commercial and subsistence fisherman; Bob Waldrop, commercial fishing group representative; Rick Halford, former Alaska State Senate President, sportsman and guide

For the full schedule of events and information, please visit SaveBristolBay.org

A delegation from the Bristol Bay coalition fighting offshore oil and gas development met with the Secretary of Interior, Ken Salazar, on Tuesday in Washington, DC. The purpose of their visit was to thank the Secretary for removing the North Aleutian Basin from federal leasing plans until at least 2017 and to encourage the Administration to permanently protect Bristol Bay for future generations. Secretary Salazar appeared extremely pleased to meet the group and was very receptive to their message. As part of the meeting, the group presented one of Robert Glenn Ketchum's photographs of the Allen River.