According to the Ecosystem-Based Management Tools Network, ecosystem-based management (EBM) “considers the whole ecosystem, including humans and the environment, rather than managing one issue or resource in isolation.” But one of the key aspects of EBM is listed as “Incorporating understanding of ecosystem processes and how ecosystems respond to environmental perturbations.” When it comes to Sockeye […]
As discussed in an early post, salmon play an extremely important role in supplying nutrients and energy to both freshwater and terrestrial ecosystems. The article “Pacific Salmon in Aquatic and Terrestrial Ecosystems” describes this role in more detail and discusses management and conservation considerations. Salmon runs provide a massive amount of biomass to inland streams. […]
Bristol Bay is a very controversial area as government agencies are pitted against each other and environmentalists battle with industrialists. The Pebble Mine will provide over 1000 long-term jobs, increasing Alaska’s mining workforce by almost 25%. So why then are the locals so against this development? What makes salmon so special? Pacific salmon are […]
In a 2005 letter to then-Governor of Alaska Frank Murkowski, the Alaska Independent Fishermen’s Marketing Association (AIFMA) made the following statement: We urge you to immediately oppose the proposed Pebble Mine and all large-scale mine develop- ment in the Lake Clark, Iliamna-Kvichak, and Nushagak-Mulchatna drainages as an unacceptable threat to Alaska’s Wild Salmon habitat, populations and […]
In order to understand the controversy surrounding the proposed Pebble Mine in Alaska, we must first understand the potential threats the mine poses. As pointed out by Kelly J. Cunningham in her Master’s thesis Bristol Bay and the Pebble Project: Red or Gold?, the most important potential victim of the mine is the wild Sockeye salmon. […]