Our Alaska team traded waders for suits to advocate for permanent safeguards of Bristol Bay’s prolific salmon fishery.
Bristol Bay's underwater migration is miraculous. Photo by Fly Out Media.
A fly angler, a commercial fisherman and a subsistence harvester walk into the halls of Congress… Their goal? To advocate for a common cause: Bristol Bay salmon.
Notorious for squabbling amongst themselves, these salmon supporters are on the same page. Their objective is clear: to prevent the Pebble mine from compromising their livelihoods.
Nicknamed “the zombie mine,” the proposed Pebble mine has cast a shadow over the Bristol Bay fishery for nearly a generation. Despite multiple layers of hard-won safeguards, the region is still threatened. Five different lawsuits brought by Pebble and their allies threaten to undo widely supported conservation gains for salmon habitat.
Substituting waders for suits
Trout Unlimited organized a team of sport, commercial and subsistence fishermen that came together in DC to advocate for the Bristol Bay Protection Act. This bill, introduced by Alaska Representative Mary Peltola, has the potential to give Bristol Bay’s fish, wildlife and abundant clean rivers its most durable layer of safeguards yet.
We substituted waders for suits, Xtratufs for high heels and riverbanks for marble halls. Our mission was energizing; educate lawmakers on the bounty of Bristol Bay and convince them to pass a law to keep it that way.
Our A-team was well equipped for the task:
Representing the sportfishing voice, we were joined by Laura Shaffer, VP of Conservation and Sustainability for Orvis, an industry leading fly fishing and wing shooting brand who commits 5% of their profits to conservation.
Representing the commercial fishing side, we were joined by Steve Kurian, boat captain and owner of Wild for Salmon and Pride of Bristol Bay. These two businesses share the bounty of Bristol Bay with consumers across the country, all while donating 1% of their sales to conservation efforts in the Bay.
Representing the third leg of the region’s fishery, we were proud to be joined by Triston Chaney, lifelong Bristol Bay subsistence user, commercial fisherman and fly fishing guide at Trout Unlimited member business, Bear Trail Lodge.
The stakes are high
Shaffer from Orvis provided excellent context as to why lawmakers should care about a fishery so very far away from their home state. “Why would Orvis, a family-owned business from Vermont care about Bristol Bay, Alaska?” she asked. Orvis has a mantra: “If we are to benefit from the use of our natural resources, then we must be willing to act to preserve them.” And act they do, to the tune of nearly a million dollars donated to Bristol Bay and other conservation efforts in 2023.
Trout Unlimited Alaska Director, Nelli Williams (left) and Orvis VP of Conservation and Sustainability (right) pause on their walk over to Congress to meet with lawmakers about Bristol Bay.
“Imagine the 51 million sockeye salmon that returned to Bristol Bay this year as an underwater migration of snow geese.” Said commercial fisherman, Steve Kurian. Kurian’s livelihood supporting his family of four is entirely reliant on this great migration. His passion for the fishery is palpable, and his description reminds all that this is a place that is just too special to destroy.
“My ancestors have been around longer than any of us can remember, and just like my ancestors, I was born and raised to respect and enjoy a subsistence lifestyle. If we couldn’t do that our culture would be dead.” said Triston Chaney. Chaney wears his commercial fishing hat in the summer, his fly-fishing guide hat in the fall and his subsistence user and advocate hat year-round. Triston embodies how important it is to speak up for the fisheries; he first testified in D.C. about the concerns of the Pebble Mine when he was just 11 years old. While he would much rather have been back with his fellow fly fishing guides, catching famed 30-inch rainbow trout on the Naknek River, Triston was flying across the country to testify at the Capitol because of how important durable safeguards are for his future.
Triston Chaney, subsistence advocate, Alaskan fly fishing guide, and lifelong anti-Pebble champion put down his flyrod to join us to talk to decision makers in D.C. Still by Colin Arisman from award winning short film “School of Fish”
Gaining momentum
They say that the whole is greater than the sum of its parts. That was wholeheartedly true for this trip. It shined a light on Bristol Bay as a uniting force; a place so special, so worth safeguarding, that people from all walks of life and all political backgrounds can unite around it.
Lawmakers heard us and acted accordingly.
We are grateful to announce that Mary Peltola’s (D-AK) bill ‘The Bristol Bay Protection Act’ was co-sponsored by John Curtis (R-UT), Brian Fitzpatick (R-PA), Jared Huffman (D-CA), Eleanor Norton (D-DC), Suzan DelBene (D-WA), Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR), Zoe Lofgren (D-CA),Kim Schrier (D-WA), and Chellie Pingree (D-ME).
By coming together across party lines, these lawmakers expanded upon the legacy of bipartisan commitment to Bristol Bay, moving the needle to permanently safeguard this cherished region.
A team! Sport, commercial and subsistence fishermen came together to lobby for The Bristol Bay Protection Act.
Our road through Congress will be long and winding. Whether you live near or far from Bristol Bay, we need you to tell your local lawmakers that this is an issue that matters to you. We’ve demonstrated that when we join together, we can accomplish previously unfathomable goals, and we’ll need our advocates and supporters with us as we move through this next phase.
Each individual fish in that massive underwater migration of Bristol Bay salmon creates a spectacle greater than the sum of its parts. Our collective voices can do that too. Write your representative today to help them understand how important this issue is for all Americans. It’ll just take two minutes of your time!