(SitNews) Juneau, Alaska - U.S. Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski (both R-Alaska) introduced the Alaska Salmon Research Task Force Act , legislation that would form a panel of Alaska’s salmon stakeholders and research experts to study Pacific salmon trends and create a coordinated research strategy for Pacific salmon in Alaska to support salmon management. The Research Task Force would be directed to conduct a comprehensive review of Pacific salmon science relevant to understanding and managing salmon returns in Alaska, and publish a report, within one year of convening, to provide recommendations identifying knowledge and research gaps and further research priorities for salmon in Alaska.

The proposed legislation came just days after a two-day Salmon Roundtable that the Alaska Congressional delegation hosted with a panel of Alaska Native leaders and state and federal officials. During the Salmon Roundtable, Alaska Native leaders from the Yukon, Kuskokwim, Unalakleet, and Chignik regions spoke to the impacts that issues like climate change and salmon bycatch are having on local wild salmon runs, which have returned at record-low levels in recent years.

“As was shared during the Salmon Roundtable, we are at a critical moment for the Yukon, Kuskokwim, Unalakleet, and Chignik watersheds. Dozens of Alaska Native communities are facing a long winter without salmon and a potential future without salmon. We can’t allow that in Alaska -— not on our watch,” said Tim Bristol, Executive Director of SalmonState. “And it’s not just those watersheds where salmon are struggling; we are seeing low salmon returns throughout much of the state and it’s taking a toll on Alaska’s local fishermen, businesses, and communities.”

“We applaud the Senators for taking an important first step towards ensuring Alaska remains a place where wild salmon and the people who depend on them thrive. We hope that their bill passes swiftly and we look forward to seeing what recommendations come from the task force. In the meantime, we encourage the Senators and state and federal agencies to utilize the research and information that’s already available and deploy immediate measures that we know for a fact will help Alaska’s wild salmon: protect Alaska’s most productive salmon watersheds, integrate Indigenous knowledge in management decisions, minimize any potential salmon bycatch, and invest in salmon habitat restoration and climate resiliency.”

“It is difficult to overstate the importance of salmon to Alaska, our communities, our economy and our traditional way of life. Over the past several years, Alaskans in some parts of the state have witnessed strong, historic runs of salmon, while Alaskans in other regions have seen shocking and unprecedented declines,” said Sen. Sullivan. “Our existing management system, with the state’s authority to manage Alaska’s salmon harvest and the federal government managing federal fishery salmon harvest and much of the at-sea research, has created a clear gap in research and research prioritization that urgently needs to be addressed. This crisis warrants the combined attention of our state and federal governments, and the expertise of our greatest scientific minds, as well as the indigenous communities that have harvested salmon for millennia. With this legislation, we would establish a body to expand our understanding, identify knowledge gaps, and ultimately drive us toward concrete policies and management decisions that we hope will bring increased abundance and stability to our salmon stocks for the benefit of all Alaskans.”

“It has been said that the summer season doesn’t arrive in Alaskan coastal and in-river communities until the salmon do. In some regions we are seeing not just a decline in salmon runs, but a crash that is damaging to not only the local economies but to the culture and spirit of the people in the region. It is clear we must further our understanding of salmon and their ecosystems in these times of rapid change. I am proud to join Senator Sullivan on the Alaska Salmon Research Taskforce Act as we seek to identify and bolster the necessary science to chart a path forward to ensure these critical species thrive,” said Sen. Murkowski. “I also continue to welcome feedback from affected community members and groups on how best to target research funding and craft policy to identify and mitigate the drivers of these declines and ensure the vitality of Alaska’s salmon fisheries for future generations.”

The Research Task Force would be composed of between 13 and 19 members, with the secretary of commerce appointing a representative from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, and the U.S. section of the Pacific Salmon Commission. The secretary would also appoint between two and five representatives from Alaska covering the wide array of state fisheries stakeholders, including subsistence, and commercial or recreational users. Lastly, the secretary would appoint five academic experts in salmon biology, management, and ecology, or marine research. The governor of Alaska would appoint one representative of the state.

The bill also directs the Research Task Force to establish a working group specifically focused on salmon returns in the AYK region of Western and Interior Alaska, where salmon return failures have had devastating impacts, and provides flexibility for the Research Task Force to establish other geographically-focused working groups.

On the Web:

Salmon Roundtable Portal - Submit comments to Sen. Murkowski



Source of News:

Office of U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski
www.murkowski.senate.gov

Office of U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan
www.sullivan.senate.gov

SalmonState
www.salmonstate.org

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