Comments on: The Story from Emmonak. (updated)

By: Blue Idaho

Blue Idaho — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 19:23:51 +0000

Eddie if you look again at what I wrote you would notice that I said the ones that I had met. I never said all. I was pointing out that the fishing industry has plenty of greed. I don’t think anyone can deny this. It is big bussiness. The people I have met had very nice homes, cars and boats but continually talked about buying bigger and more boats and better nets to improve profits. I did read the article and posted it because it shows both successes and failures. You seem very defensive. If you are in this industry and are not like this than I am sorry if I hurt your feelings. My bussiness is in constuction and I know that there is plenty of greed here. I see it all the time. I still think the natives should have first shot at the fish. Has a study been started to find out what happened to the Kind Salmon? Would the Governor be the person who would order such a study. Would the people of Emmonak and other villages participate in the study. I have lots of questions. For now I have given up fish because I feel as a planet we are over fishing and I do not want to be part of the problem. Overfishing is a gloabal problem that may only be solved when there is no more fish to fight over.

By: eddie fireplace palin

eddie fireplace palin — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 06:02:15 +0000

@ Blue Idaho

It seems you paint things with a very broad brush. Such as, you have met a few fishermen who were jerks, therefore all fishermen are jerks. O.K. then, let me counter with this: Sarah Palin is stupid, Sarah Palin lived in Idaho, therefore all people who have lived in Idaho are stupid.

The question that should be addressed is, what happened to the king salmon bound for the Y-K Delta fisheries? Answering this question would require research, and asking more questions such as: What is the historical catch for the Y-K Delta? What is the designated allocation between commercial and subsistence users? How many of the Y-K Delta fishers are both commercial and subsistence harvesters? Does NMFS show any recent significant increase in bycatch of king salmon for the Bering Sea trawl fleet? Does ADFG have any comment on this situation?

As for your article on overfishing, did you even read it? Go to page 4 and look at the heading “The Alaskan Success Story”. Management of the many fisheries in Alaska is generally held in high regard. In particular, Alaskan salmon fisheries have earned the Marine Stewardship Council’s certification as a sustainable fishery. Check out the following ADFG press release for more information:

http://www.adfg.state.ak.us/news/2007/11-5-07_nr.php

By: Deb aka commando coalfire

Deb aka commando coalfire — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 05:34:15 +0000

Blue Idaho, good article but it leads to some conclusions that are not accurate the number of boats fishing on the west coast has gone down very signifigantly since th 1970s while the size has increased this is mainly due to the fact that many independant fishermen have been driven out of business.
In 1980 Reagan threw Alaska fisheries under the bus in a teaty with Russia. The “I can see Russia from my house” statement takes on pretty heavy signifigance when you consider salmon feed miles off shore and do not respect man made boarders. While the Alaska fishermen work under a quota system the russians have no such system nor do they do anything to regulate their catch. Most of the fish caught in Alaska waters do not origionate in Alaska but in the rivers of the Canadian west coast. Most of the fish from the river of Alaksa end up gracing russian plates.
Over fishing is an easy and shallow way to lay blame for problems that origionate at the streams and rivers where the fish spawn, continue into the waters where they feed and end with the purchases of major shares of the canneries and large fishing operations by overseas corporations. Then there are the ups and downs of the fish runs, some years are good others are terrible depending on what happened years before. Take the floods on the rivers if Western washngton this year the vast majority of the salmon eggs did not survive so in a few years the run will be alarmingly low. Certianly you can eliminate some dams but there also has to be balance with those industries and people who depend on the power, the towns that depend on them for flood control and the fish and for that matter the farms that depend on the rivers for water. Fish ladders help but the salmon depend on the flow of the river to guide them home, the lakes created behind the dam create problems with low current causing fish to loose their way and run out of juice before reaching their spawning grounds. It is a very complex problem.

By: Gail Suber

Gail Suber — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 05:19:43 +0000

After reading all of the comments about the plight of Alaskans in rural areas on this site, it was on the front page of the L.A. Times today. I wish everyone the best of luck getting through this difficult winter and if I had more money, would send you something.

By: Blue Idaho

Blue Idaho — Mon, 26 Jan 2009 02:49:27 +0000

This is a good article about overfishing. I would like to know why commercial fishermen are aloud to fish before the natives?

http://ehistory.osu.edu/osu/origins/article.cfm?articleid=18

By: politicalamazon

politicalamazon — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 22:45:46 +0000

There was a very good article again today in the LATimes, print edition, front page–a very, very good location.

http://www.latimes.com/news/printedition/front/la-na-rural-alaska25-2009jan25,0,2236427.story

By: JuneauJoe ?

JuneauJoe ? — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 22:31:44 +0000

I like the idea of each oil company giving $100,000.00 for village relief! Any chance that they will willingly sign on to help their neighbors in need?

Sarah could make the case to Big Oil. Exxon, being the gracious company will certainly volunteer their money for the people in the villages.

By: here_in_PA

here_in_PA — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 22:30:39 +0000

Realityeyes needs to take a reality pill. Who are the people that work on the North Slope right now??? Ppl that come from the lower 48. Why aren’t they hiring the natives? What are you doing to help job training and skills that they need to get that job??? No, you give it to the ppl that come from the lower 48 and they collect on the dividend that they have no right to collect. Go take a reality pill.

By: crystalwolf a.k.a. caligrl

crystalwolf a.k.a. caligrl — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 22:13:51 +0000

this is not -charity-look it up…and I don’t see people refusing Chavez’s oil either. The Salmon fishing was next to nothing and the barge to bring oil got stranded in ice. It should be called by Gov. Grifter as a state of Emergency, but she is too busy with photo ops and interviews and getting ready for her ANOTHER vacation that you the people of Alaska will be paying for. Is that not Charity???? She keeps taking and taking, per diems etc. Free house?
So people are helping. It is so repub to sneer “charity” and “put it where the sun don’t shine” I don’t hear that coming from Emmonak at all.
And stale this and that, You are the STALE ONE!

By: realityeyes

realityeyes — Sun, 25 Jan 2009 21:40:06 +0000

Always a troll when there is no position to stand on in debate, I applaud the charity, but it is not the long term solution to the problems in rural Alaska.
My position is that we need responsible development of our natural resources,
This is the only long term solution to the economic problems faced by rural Alaskans, Most of the Native folks I know (which is many many) would tell you to shove your charity where the sun does not shine, and please give me an opportunity to make a living wage in the area in which i live. Is that so surprising of a position to take? What would your choice be? Stale Pilot bread and free fuel from Hugo Chavez, or the ability to support your family by working for good wages? It’s a no brainer, which makes it even more baffling that you folks do not get it.