The Fourth of July Fish
By Paul Greenberg, Safina Center Fellow
It's a tough time for patriotic rituals right now. Our country, overwhelmed by disease and poor governance feels far from a return to normal. So the idea of a traditional Independence Day barbecue might come off as out of sync with the national mood. But lest we all sink too deeply into gloominess might I suggest a fish to throw on the fire this Fourth that both celebrates resilience and voices a vote of protest. Might I suggest a fish that hits peak abundance on our very own national holiday? Might I suggest the Bristol Bay sockeye salmon?
Sockeye salmon in Bristol Bay. Still image from: "The Wild,” a forthcoming film about Bristol Bay
Fresh Bristol Bay sockeye salmon. Photo: Paul Greenberg
Here are a few reasons why:
1. The sockeye is a fighter. Every year sockeye salmon return without fail to the magnificent waters of Bristol Bay, Alaska and its tributaries. In spite of seals, bears, eagles and human fishermen it endures, fighting 15-knot currents, leaping over tree snags and waterfalls until finally reaching its natal spawning grounds.
Sockeye salmon in Bristol Bay. Still image from: "The Wild,” a forthcoming film about Bristol Bay
2. Bristol Bay sockeye are a celebration of American nature at its purest. While other salmon runs in the continental United States have been ravaged by dams, pollution and overfishing and are often propped up by hatcheries, Bristol Bay sockeye are a truly wild fish. Their incredible abundance (some years more than 60 million fish enter the Bay) is based on the abundance and purity of the Alaskan landscape. A covenant formed from clean water, excellent habitat and superior fisheries management means this incredible run has continued year after year.
Fishermen on Bristol Bay. Photo: Paul Greenberg
3. The sockeye salmon is incredibly good for you: possessing some of the highest levels of omega-3 fatty acids as well as the cancer-preventing antioxidant astaxanthin it is also extremely high in protein and low in saturated fat. Overall, a much better choice than a hamburger or hotdog.
Sockeye salmon, caught in Bristol Bay. Photo: Paul Greenberg
4. Bristol Bay sockeye provide jobs. More than 14,000 jobs in fact. Generating over $1.5 billion in annual revenue, the Bristol Bay salmon fishery is an economic engine for Alaska and our nation, with commercial fishermen from around the country migrating to Bristol Bay each summer.
Fishing Bristol Bay for sockeye salmon. Photo: Paul Greenberg
5. Bristol Bay sockeye are in trouble. All of this healthiness and natural abundance hangs in the balance as we speak. As soon as this July 4th weekend the Army Corps of Engineers is expected to rule on an Environmental Impact Statement that could allow the development of Pebble Mine, a massive copper and gold mine that would be situated in the heart of the Bristol Bay watershed. The project was effectively killed at the tail end of the Obama Administration. But thanks to the actions of now disgraced former EPA administrator Scott Pruitt as well as irrational support from deep within the Trump Administration the project has been resurrected and is nearing the brink of being pushed through. This, despite vehement local opposition.
Bristol Bay locals largely oppose Pebble Mine. Photo: Paul Greenberg
What can you do? First off, as a vote for healthy environments and healthy food, let's all of us have a piece of Bristol Bay sockeye salmon this July 4th. Let's post pictures of them everywhere with hashtags like #savebristolbay and #stoppebblemine, and tag Alaska Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan while you’re at it. Let's write to our members of Congress and urge them to do everything in their power to save this truly American fish for Americans. And lastly let's not give up on the sockeye. Year after year the fish fights on, against fishermen, bears, eagles, and, yes, copper mines. Every year it keeps coming. It's in our power to help this great fish outswim the shortsighted forces now leveled against it.