A fantastic look at the life cycle and nutrient cycle of Alaska's wild salmon. These fish give us so much, it is our responsible to protect the best we have left.
From the Filmaker:
Once they enter fresh water chum salmon stop feeding and morph into an aggressive creature intent only on mating. After spawning, they die and their bodies become a source of nutrients for everything in the forest and sea.
Very special thanks to Lynn Schooler, who without I could not have made this short. Special thanks to Richard Nelson, Hank Lentfer, Riley Woodford and Henk Meeuwsen for providing additional sounds. To Lynn & Michio, whose stories and adventures inspired me to come to Alaska.
UPDATE - Shot over the course of three weeks with a Canon 5d and a GoPro. Music: Smetana - Má Vlast (The Moldau) and Górecki - Symphony No. 3: Il Lento E Largo
Anglo American has just announced they are divorcing Northern Dynasty in their partnership to develop the Pebble mine.
After five years of debate giant miner Anglo American (LON: AAL) said Monday it is pulling out of its polemic Pebble Mine project in the Bristol Bay region of Alaska, adding it will pay a $300-million "impairment charge" to its partner Northern Dynasty Minerals (TSX: NDM).
"Our focus has been to prioritize capital to projects with the highest value and lowest risks within our portfolio, and reduce the capital required to sustain such projects during the pre-approval phases of development as part of a more effective, value-driven capital allocation model," he (CEO Mark Cutifani) said in the press release.
The Clean Water Act grants the EPA authority to protect these salmon and the 14,000 jobs that depend on them, by disallowing the Pebble Mine to go forward. You can help give voice to Bristol Bay, Alaska by submitting a comment in SUPPORT of the US EPA's Bristol Bay Watershed Assessment. Give them and President Obama the courage they need to stand up for Bristol Bay. You will be heard. Public comments open through May 31, 2013. Go here: ow.ly/kAsdF.
The odds are very high that the last time you ate sockeye salmon, it came from the pristine waters of Bristol Bay. Fully half of all the sockeye at market in the world today come from here, where the runs of fish are as strong as they have been since The Beginning. Approximately 80% of Bristol Bay residents, as well as national commercial and sport fishing industries, oppose development of the proposed Pebble Mine because of catastrophic risks it poses to their rich salmon-based economy, culture, and spirit.
Bristol Bay, Alaska is host to one of the last great salmon fisheries on earth. It's our last chance to get it right the first time. We must protect this national treasure and its salmon fishery; incredible sport fishing and recreation; fishing jobs and economy; and a native way of life that's thousands of years old from the specter of the Pebble Mine, proposed as one of the largest open-pit mines on earth. Pebble will generate up to 10 billion tons of toxic mine waste that must be stored, treated and monitored "in perpetuity" in the heart of the watershed. EPA has the power to stop this dangerous project under the Clean Water Act and we need you to urge them to do so now.
Because this issue is so important to sport fishing jobs in Bristol Bay, Crystal Creek Lodge is offering a chance to win an incredible 4-day trip for two to fish Bristol Bay, Alaska. Win the fishing trip of a lifetime by using the Tell a Friend feature after you take action. When you urge a friend to comment, you'll be automatically entered for this amazing trip to an award-winning lodge on the Naknek River.
The other day I tagged our recommended lodges and adventures on the Trout Unlimited and Renewable Resource Coalition map that outlines the "Potential Mining Footprint on Bristol Bay's Wild Salmon and Trout Waters". It is clear from this image that the Alaska sport fishing and adventure community has a stake (responsibility) in protecting this region. For one area to support the lodge density and the number of reputable operations (indicated by the blue bubbles), it is obvious there are incredible fishing opportunities in this area - not to mention wildlife viewing, flightseeing, photography, etc. Many of these lodges fly out to the Nushagak River to fish it's famous King Salmon run in June and early July. Some of them fish locally right on the Kvichak River for giant rainbows. These are the drainages at risk.
Even if you've never visited Bristol Bay, stand up for a truly sacred place - where you can enjoy clean water, fresh air, and all the wild things that make Alaska special. You can help by going to savebristolbay.org/take-action. Do it today!
The Alaska Wilderness League is a friend of AlaskaFlyOut.com and partner in the effort to preserve Alaska's wild lands and waters, including the Tongass National Rainforest, by engaging citizens and decision makers with a courageous, constant, victorious voice for Alaska.
See their cornerstone website www.tourthetongass.com to see the wonders of the Tongass region. You can see our recommended lodges from the region on our lodge map page.
Alaska does not exactly have a deficiency of water like those states that pull from the Colorado River. However, the problems in the Southwest U.S. serve as good "lessons learned" going forward for AK. It is extremely important to balance our economic desires with our inherent need for wild places and genuine nature experiences. The spirit of the Last Frontier does not include a scarred landscape, weakening salmon runs, polluted waters, and widespread development.
Fly Out often features the conservation work of Patagonia on our blog because we believe in their voice of environmental responsibility. No company of that size is perfect, but Patagonia is the first to admit it. Check out the Our Common Waters campaign. And, learn about our commitment to Alaska's environment on our conservation page.
Next week, April 16 – 18, 40 sportsmen representing 17 states are traveling to the nation’s capital to let their elected officials and the President know that protecting Bristol Bay, Alaska is a top priority for sportsmen. Learn more about next week’s Sportsmen Summit here from Scott Hed, the director of the Sportsman’s Alliance for Alaska.
Many of us in the Alaska fishing community are doing whatever we can to help stop the proposed Pebble Mine threatening the Bristol Bay watershed. Fly Out ambassador, Bob White, is no different. BobWhite Studio will donate 25% of print sales to the Sportsman's Alliance for Alaska to help stop the Pebble Mine.
{gallery}BlogContent/March2012/BobWhiteStudio/gallery{/gallery}As many of you know, the proposed Pebble Mine threatens Alaska's Bristol Bay watershed, a complex system of rivers, lakes, streams and wetlands that supports the most productive wild sockeye salmon fishery in the world.
