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Herring Stocks and Mining
By Michael Moyer

 

May 06, 2008
Tuesday PM


In response to Mr. Harris and his opinions concerning the decline of the Pacific Herring as a result of the release of hatchery fish, I find it strange that someone who has lived in Southeast Alaska for 60 years would have such little knowledge of the life cycle of these fishes and of the history of man's wide ranging impacts upon them.

Which of the 5 species of Pacific Salmon in Alaska is he referring to here? Not all salmon eat herring and those that do eat them eat a lot more than just herring. The decline in our herring stocks was the result of over fishing that began before the turn of the last century not from too many salmon eating them.

Now it remains our legacy to protect herring spawning areas in order to provide for the future of these fish in Alaska. If that means restricting mining operations that will silt up spawning beds then so be it. Miners need to find ways to extract their ore with a minimal of environmental damage. That's what makes for good mining practices and will set a precedence for modern mining in Alaska and an example for the rest of the world to follow.

Michael Moyer
cohocarey[at]yahoo.com
Ketchikan, AK

Received May 04, 2008 - Published May 06, 2008

 

Related Viewpoint:

letter THE LOWLY HERRING OF AK By Bill Harris

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