U.S. Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska, says he'll travel to Bethel next week to huddle with people facing an emerging Chinook salmon crisis on the Kuskokwim and Yukon rivers.
In this press release, the senator also notes he's written letters to the Obama administration and congressional budget chairmen seeking more federal dollars for salmon research and management.
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At least Mr. B is making an effort though I can't judge the sincerity of his visit giving that he is only going to listen to his Bethel area constituents for less than two hours.
As to adding more money to the Salmon Studies Black Hole, I'd say NO, NO more Salmon Studies monies. That's a guaranteed stall tactic that's been used over and over again since the early 90's.
No real solutions came out of all those millions, Five Million specifically given to the Norton Sound back then, in the name of Norton Sound Salmon Initiative. Incompetent people are not problem solvers but they sure can go through the bucks for the appearance of 'doing something about the problem'.
Let's be Pro-Active Mr. B - ask the people what we should do about Factory Trawling in the Bering Sea then act upon the request of the people by getting Congress involved like Pronto before the last of the King Salmon struggle to survive the greed in the sea while leaving desolution all along the rivers in Alaska.
Spend some money on some hatcheries to boost the overfished runs. Hatcheries are a proven science with actual results.
On any given year, up to one-third of all wild salmon harvested in Alaska's commercial fisheries are hatchery - origin.
Are you saying we should boost that amount some more?
The well-funded science in hatcheries say you can pump as many hatchery fish out into the ocean with no ill effects. Only 5 billion hatchery smolt hit the North Pacific each year - no impacts whatsoever for the overall ecosystem.
The return of whales is probably a much bigger issue than people realize. Probably the main reason forage fish, herring, halibut and salmon are in decline in the North Pacific.
It's nice of Mark to seek more money (for whatever) does this mean he'll stop accepting pollock money for his campaign coffers?
By the way, where did all the previous rounds of disaster bucks go?
Mr. B should ask about the CDQ program while he is in Bethel.
Heard that the Bethel area CDQ program is giving out free nets to anyone willing to sign a paper stating that the pollock fishery is not at fault for destroying the King Salmon runs on the Kusko. That's bribery and it's illegal!
Good question on where the previous rounds of fisheries disaster bucks have disappeared to.
General public dosen't need to know. We're the peons remember.
The declining numbers of salmon returning to the Western Alaska rivers for at least 25 years has created a Big Black Hole for disaster funds. It gives the appearance that somebody in high government places cares about the livelihood of the poor people who are fastly losing a long standing culture and tradition of living off the salmon.
Disaster Funds are like going through the motions without any positive expectations for positive outcomes. Salmon are still in decline.
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