Bristol Bay

The chief executive of one of the companies pursuing the proposed Pebble Mine project was the guest speaker at a breakfast meeting held in Anchorage Thursday morning by the Resource Development Council, an industry group. Cynthia Carroll, the CEO of Anglo American PLC, spoke in front of more than 300 people at the Dena'ina Center. "I want to make one thing absolutely clear: fish and mining can co-exist," Carroll said. "Much of what I hear from the opposition to Pebble is that this is not possible.

The Environmental Protection agency Announced plans Monday to study the Bristol Bay watershed to see how large-scale developments -- like the Pebble Mine -- could affect water quality and the region's salmon fishery. The EPA says it initiated the study after Alaska Native tribes and other groups expressed their concerns over the possibility of mining the copper and gold prospect leading to environmental damage. While the Pebble Partnership says it's premature to study the project, some say that more research and data made available to the public are greatly needed.

In the Interior Alaska village of Lake Minchumina, the library offers the only Internet access -- and it's pretty slow. But that service is about to get faster in libraries across the state, thanks in large part to federal stimulus funds. While the Internet is vital to both the Bush and the big cities, when it comes to technology rural Alaska is always playing catch-up. That’s why the Alaska State Library is intent upon bringing high-speed Internet access to many rural Alaska libraries through the Online With Libraries Project.

2010 was a record breaking year for pink salmon in Prince William Sound. Commercial fishermen netted 69 million pinks this year. Commercial fishermen across the state netted over $500 million, the largest paycheck in 18 years. But the cash didn't span the state evenly. Fifty-five percent of the fish were caught in Prince William Sound and Bristol Bay.   Fisheries experts say commercial fishermen can thank good returns and the price of salmon. The price tag has gone up the past three years, partly because more consumers are recognizing the health benefits of Alaska wild caught salmon as opposed to farmed salmon.

Sea otters in Southwest Alaska might soon be designated as an endangered species if their numbers continue to decline. The U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service came up with a plan to help increase the population by dividing management areas between the western Aleutian Islands and Bristol Bay, to more easily target specific problems. Wildlife biologists say the region’s northern sea otter population dropped more than 50 percent in the last 30 years.  There's no clear indication why otters in other parts of the state are thriving, while otters in Southwest Alaska continue to struggle.

by Lori Tipton Monday, July 19, 2010 NAKNEK, Alaska -- One of Naknek's biggest fish processors is also one of its newest. Leader Creek Fisheries began with just a few fishermen when its processing plant opened in the summer of 2000, but it has grown to more than 400 seasonal employees and its products are making their way across the globe. Bristol Bay is home to the world's largest sockeye salmon population. Fishermen haul in sockeye salmon and send them straight to processing plants like Leader Creek's.

by Lori Tipton Thursday, July 8, 2010 KING SALMON, Alaska -- Exploratory drilling is under way in King Salmon to determine the potential for geothermal energy. The Naknek Electric Association, an energy co-op, is testing a geothermal well to see if developing the renewable resource is feasible. The geothermal project's test well took more than 10 years to come together, at a cost of more than $20 million. If it proves to be successful, the association could provide affordable renewable energy to communities and villages across Bristol Bay. "It's a new industry for an electric co-op," said Donna Vukich, the association's general manager.

It has been slow going for sockeyes in Bristol Bay. The commercial fishing season historically hits its peak on July 4, but this year that wasn't the case. Biologists say the delay can be blamed on the weather, which in Naknek has been rainy and cold. The weather may have slowed down the salmon, but the same can't be said for the fishermen. "I've been doing it for 24 years and my dad's been up here since '62, commercial fishing every summer," said commercial fisherman Marcus Williams.

by Jackie Bartz Tuesday, July 6, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Sockeye salmon pulled from Bristol Bay are the focus of a regional grassroots campaign in Washington and Oregon. "Savor Bristol Bay" is targeting the proposed Pebble Mine using the dinner plates of customers.          Nearly 50 restaurants in Seattle and Portland have teamed up with the anti-Pebble group Trout Unlimited. All week they'll be exclusively serving up sockeye salmon to bring awareness to their anti-pebble campaign.

by The Associated Press Thursday, June 10, 2010 ANCHORAGE, Alaska -- Trout Unlimited Alaska is hosting a salmon cook-off. The group, which is opposed to the development of the Pebble Mine, hopes to inform people on what they can do to help protect Bristol Bay. The group says the Bristol Bay wild salmon fishery faces an unprecedented threat from Pebble -- a huge copper and gold deposit in southwest Alaska. Trout Unlimited says its first Savor Bristol Bay event will be held on June 19 from 9 a.m. to 2 p.m. at the South Anchorage Farmers' Market.