A federal judge in Seattle has found the National Marine Fisheries Service has failed to ensure that Southeast Alaska salmon harvests not harm protected Pacific Northwest chinook and endangered southern killer whales that prey upon them.
A southern resident killer whale breaches in Haro Strait just off San Juan Island's west side with Mt. Baker in the background.
“We applaud Judge Jones’ ruling that is finally calling into question decades of unsustainable Chinook harvest management in Southeast Alaska,” said Emma Helverson, Wild Fish Conservancy executive director, who in a statement called the decision a “watershed moment” for efforts to recover southern resident orcas and wild chinook.
Litigants in the case, which include the state of Alaska and the National Marine Fisheries Service, are expected to brief U.S. Magistrate Court Judge Michelle Peterson on how to respond to the ruling. “We disagree with the ruling and are considering an appeal,” said Doug Vincent-Lang, commissioner of Alaska’s Department of Fish and Game. “We have a responsibility to look out for our fisheries and families that rely on them.”The Alaska harvest is set by negotiations that take place between the United States and Canada under the Pacific Salmon Treaty. For 2022, the treaty allocation is 266,000 fish in the 12-month period that ends Sept.
To compensate for the losses to the Southeast Alaska harvests, the National Marine Fisheries Service proposed funding for salmon hatcheries that would produce a 4% to 5% increase in chinook.
México Últimas Noticias, México Titulares
Similar News:También puedes leer noticias similares a ésta que hemos recopilado de otras fuentes de noticias.
Alaska ramps up effort to land billions in federal funding to close digital divideA new state office will try to maximize broadband investment coming to Alaska under the giant federal infrastructure bill. Several federal officials overseeing that funding are in Alaska this week, meeting with local leaders.
Leer más »
Federal officials tout ‘once-in-a-generation’ chance to expand broadband in Alaska'These kinds of resources, they don’t come along very often,' Assistant Commerce Secretary Alan Davidson said. 'We’re going to spend tens of billions of dollars in this country. We’re going to spend billions here in Alaska, most likely.”
Leer más »
Alaska Broadband Summit focuses on federal funding opportunitiesThe message of the Alaska Broadband Summit centered around capitalizing on the upcoming federal funding to improve broadband connection across the state.
Leer más »
State Fire Marshal announces retirementToday, in a press release Alaska State Fire Marshal Richard Boothby announced his retirement from the Alaska Department of Public Safety, effective Aug. 12, 2022.
Leer más »
How Alaskans on the Lower Yukon River are faring 2 years into the chum salmon crash - Alaska Public MediaMaggie Westlock, in Emmonak, says the chum salmon collapse has forced her family to rely more on store-bought food. Her grocery bill has gone way up, and inflation is making things far worse.
Leer más »
How people on the Lower Yukon River are faring 2 years into the chum crashOn the Lower Yukon, the salmon crash is forcing people who rely on the fish to spend far more money on less healthy, store-bought foods. It also makes it harder for parents to pass on their Yup’ik culture to their kids.
Leer más »