Bristol Bay is Great already
Ahoy,
I've been working as a deckhand on a driftnet boat for ten seasons in Bristol Bay, and I was born and raised in Southeast Alaska where I participated in many other fisheries. My crewshares have paid my way through college and then some. Although it is difficult to relate to the summer vacations that most of my college friends enjoyed, I love the fulfillment of financial and functional independence that I have gained in exchange for harvesting wild salmon in an efficient and sustainable way. It's great. Present tense.
Don't risk this version of the American Dream for another mine. I don't even care that most of those involved with the proposed Pebble Mine aren't citizens of the United States. Working for a large mining operation, or in support of one, cannot afford the same lessons and fulfillment as working for a small commercial fishing operation.
Working on a 32-foot boat with two or three other people for a solid month out of the year has taught me many trades. Not to mention social skills (cabin fever applies to boat cabins too). Being a deckhand on a small boat means that I do much more than run machinery on deck and pick fish out of the net. On a daily basis I am required to be an all-weather cook, electrician, hydraulics technician, refrigeration engineer, diesel mechanic, GPS tech support, marine safety drill-instructor, morale officer, scribe, biologist, oceanographer, photographer, cinematographer, DJ, and businessman.
All this to provide a healthy food source to people all over the world. As it stands, most of our product is shipped overseas and most of the seafood that is consumed in the United States comes from overseas. You've heard of energy independence with regard to fossil fuels, well it's time to apply that thinking to fishy fuels. Support the wild seafood market in the United States, support habitats for healthy seafood, and we will have a powerful and sustainable economy. Not to mention future generations.
Do you want an election or a legacy?