Northern Pacific Council discussed various alternatives that can be used to help solve the chum bycatch issue in the Pallock fishery.ANCHORAGE, Alaska - Representatives from more than 100 Alaska Native tribes and villages, along with representatives of commercial fishing and fisheries, shared their concerns and ideas Saturday in downtown Anchorage over what many consider a declining salmon population crises.
Many tribal testifiers said declining salmon populations impact their spiritual culture, health and ability to fish. Those in the commercial fishing and fishery industries also testified, addressing their concerns and impacts about the possibility of bycatch restrictions on their businesses and also proposed solutions and ideas.
“My concern that the numbers of salmon returning at some point are going to be dropping down so low that you know the spawn and the fish spawning, and we’re going to be out of fish pretty quick,” Thaddeus Tikiun Jr., chairman of the Association of Village Council Presidents. “It is going to take a number of years once the salmon do return, it’s going to take a number of years before the numbers are back up.