On November 10th, Tribal leaders gathered in Bethel to provide testimony to the Senate Committee on Indian Affairs (SCIA), led by Vice-Chair Senator Lisa Murkowski. The field hearing was called in short order and is titled, “The Impact of the Historic Salmon Declines on the Health and Well-Being of Alaska Native Communities along Arctic, Yukon, and Kuskokwim Rivers.” “The Tribes …
The State of Alaska Division of Fish and Game predicts a low salmon run in 2023 for the District 4 and Koyukuk River Subsistence Fishing areas. The 2023 Chinook salmon run size is forecasted to be small and unlikely to meet escapement objectives or provide any surplus for harvest. Click here to learn more.
The village of Hughes was able to run its grid on strictly solar power for a five-hour span of time last month. On Tuesday, April 18th, from 2:30 PM to 7:50 PM the town of Hughes was silent. The ever present rumbling of the diesel generators that provide light and power to the community was absent and no exhaust was …
Fish and rivers play a vital role in nutrient distribution. Tree growth can be almost completely dependent on fish, especially in areas where soil nutrition is low. Young salmon swim out to the ocean where they spend their adult life growing and getting bigger. Salmon build muscle swimming around in the vast ocean avoiding predators and finding food. They store …
The Yukon River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (YRITFC) held a quorum for the first time since before the COVID-19 pandemic. The YRITFC is comprised of 28 villages along the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers who work together to develop recommendations for fishery management, and to develop positions on other relevant fisheries issues for the upcoming season and in the fall post-season. This …
Two Alaska Tribal Organizations Sue the Federal Government to ProtectSubsistence Fishing as the Salmon Crisis Intensifies Two Alaska Tribal Organizations Sue the Federal Government to ProtectSubsistence Fishing as the Salmon Crisis Intensifies Anchorage, Alaska – The Association of Village Council Presidents (AVCP) and Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC), represented by Earthjustice, have filed a lawsuit against the National Marine Fisheries Service …
On Saturday, February 25, The Alaska Board of Fisheries (BOF) voted against Proposal 140, submitted by the Fairbanks Advisory Committee Fisheries Subcommittee. The proposal aims to reduce the allowed commercial fishing times and area in the South Alaska Peninsula (Area M) during the month of June in order to protect Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim (AYK) Chum Salmon from severe commercial interception. During the …
Participation was strong at last week’s Arctic Yukon Kuskokwim (AYK) Board of Fish meeting in Anchorage, with 43 participants and 23 testimonies. Twelve Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC) villages/tribes were represented, with 8 Emerging Leaders. The most impactful representation came from the youth, however. Olivia Irwin, Chair of the Minto/Nenana Advisory Committee, attended the meeting because she felt strongly that the …
There are several important upcoming meetings where tribal members will have the opportunity to advocate for our way of life and the need to protect our salmon. Alaska Board of Fisheries – AK Peninusula/Aleutians (Area M)February 20th -25th , 2023Anchorage, AK – Dena’ina CenterComment due date: February 3, 2023Learn more here: https://bit.ly/3GvjCYG Alaska Board of Fisheries – Statewide Finfish & …
Last month, the Alaska Federation of Natives held their Annual Convention where Tanana Chiefs Conference submitted six resolutions – two of which focused specifically on the conservation and protection of salmon. The resolutions were Resolution 2022-2, a resolution requesting the Alaska Department of Fish and Game support measures that decrease intercept of Chinook and Chum Salmon in Area M affecting …