Bristol Bay Fish

The rivers and creeks of Bristol Bay provide pristine spawning grounds for five species of Pacific Salmon:  Chinook or King (Oncorhynchus tshawytscha), Coho or Silver (Oncorhynchus kisutch), Sockeye or Red (Oncorhynchus nerka), Chum (Oncorhynchus keta), and Pink (Onchorhynchus gorbuscha).

The freshwater lakes in this region offer abundant habitat for Rainbow Trout (Onchorynchus Mykiss), Arctic Char (Salvelinus alpinus), Arctic Grayling (Thymallus arcticus), and Dolly Varden (Salvelinus malma Walbaum) and support critical salmon spawning streams and rivers.  The largest herring fishery in Alaska spawns on the north shore of Bristol Bay, near Togiak.

The Bristol Bay commercial fisheries management area includes eight major river systems: Naknek, Kvichak, Egegig, Ugashik, Wood, Nushagak, Igushik, and Togiak.  Collectively, these rivers support the LARGEST COMMERCIAL SOCKEYE SALMON FISHERY in the world. The Kvichak River is home to the single LARGEST SALMON RUN on the planet. The Nushagak River hosts the LARGEST KING RUN in Alaska.

Annual commercial catches between 1984 and 2003 averaged nearly 24 million sockeye salmon, 69,000 Chinook, 971,000 Chum, 133,000 Coho, and 593,000. In 2007, the Bristol Bay sockeye salmon run approximately 44.3 million fish and the preliminary catch report of 29.5 million sockeye rank 9th and 8th, respectively, since statehood.  (For more information, check out the Alaska Department of Fish and Game 2007 Season Summary.  Link with http://www.cf.adfg.state.ak.us/region2/finfish/salmon/bbay/brbpos07.pdf)  Year after year, the fish keep coming back in astounding numbers; this fishery proves to be well managed.  On average, individuals in Bristol Bay communities harvest 2.4 million points of salmon per year, or 315 pounds per person, as their main source of food. 

Lake Iliamna, just south of the Pebble mining claim, is the LARGEST BODY OF FRESHWATER in Alaska.  It's 80 miles long by 20 miles wide.

The BIGGEST ARCTIC CHAR IN ALASKA probably occur in some of Bristol Bay's big lakes, where good fishing can be had from late May through early July when these fish congregate to feed on salmon smolts as they move toward the sea.

The Pebble claim directly threatens the Kvichak River, Iliamna Lake, Lake Clark, and the Nushagak River drainage.  Northern Dynasty Mines has applied for water rights to drain water from Upper Talarik Creek and the North and South Forks of the Koktuli River, both critical salmon and trout producers.

"It's not yet known how the proposed Pebble mine might affect fish and fish habitat in the project area.  The process of selecting a preferred mine development plan is ongoing, with the primary goal of avoiding and minimizing effects on fish and fish habitat." -- Northern Dynasty Mines.

The reality is the LARGEST OPEN-PIT GOLD COPPER MINE in North America and a million-acre mining district undoubtedly threaten to devastate the LARGEST SALMON FISHERY in the WORLD.  Even minute quantities of toxins are deadly to juvenile salmon and trout.  Please, speak up and help save Bristol Bay.