PEBBLE MINE UPDATE
Paradise At Risk
With your help, Bristol Bay will remain one of the world’s premiere destinations
for traveling anglers for many generations to come.
W
by scott hed
ithout question, 2013 is a big year in the fight to protect Bristol Bay, Alaska’s incredible
wilderness, home to the world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery and paradise on earth for
any sportsman.
Sport fishing in Southwestern Alaska’s famed Bristol Bay region generates $60 million an-
nually, as anglers looking for “once in a lifetime” experiences on rivers such as the Nushagak, Mulchatna,
Koktuli and Kvichak support more than 800 sustainable full- and part-time jobs. On the other hand,
mining activity and increased development from a proposed monstrous mine called Pebble – which would
be the largest open-pit mine in North America – will hurt these areas with detrimental impacts to fish and
habitat. Development will also negatively impact opportunities for sport fishing and hunting operations in
the area by diminishing the quality of the experience. Despite the remote nature of the region and the costs
associated with traveling to it, up to 65,000 visitors annually come to Bristol Bay for recreational opportuni-
ties to fish, hunt, and view wildlife.
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