WILD SALMON
Wild salmon power the Alaskan economy, fill our freezers, sustain our wildlife, curate our ecosystems, sustain our communities, and represent everything that defines Alaska. The silver of the salmon far outshines the gold in the mountains when considering the global value of all that the salmon bring to Alaska's economy.
The Diminishing Salmon Runs
As we stand on the edge of Silver Salmon Creek, a creek named for the species of salmon that should fill its water annually, we notice a troubling lack of movement. There are no flashes of silver beneath the surface. There are no tell-tale ripples dancing through the shallow water. There is nothing to denote the presence of fish pushing up stream. Its an hour after the top of high tide, and there are no bears on the cut banks above, and no fish in the creek below. There aren't even any eagles.
I look back at my guests, a group of clients who traveled from the other side of the country to experience the thrill of seeing brown bears in the wild. I point out the single set of bear tracks in the sand along the waters edge, and tell them that any day now, the fish will push up in grater numbers and the bears will make their way back to the water's edge to fish. Despite the reassuring words I speak, I can't help but feel a sinking feeling in my gut. There is no denying that the salmon runs are diminishing with each passing year. The evidence stands before us - colorful bridges of spawning salmon choking our streams exist only in the old timers recollections of summers long past.
And now, a developing mine looms above us. The Johnson Tract Mine threatens to choke our already dying waters with more noise, more pollution, and more disruption. Without the salmon, there is nothing left for us here. The tourism industry that has worked so mindfully to curate an environment where humans and bears can coexist stands to be wiped out entirely. Our wild salmon habitat is not being prioritized over short sighted profits. To learn more about the existing fishing economy and tourism industry of Lake Clark National Park, click here.