Gov. Knowles seeks aid for Alaska salmon disaster

July 20, 2000
Web posted at: 11:57 AM EDT (1557 GMT)

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (Reuters) -- Alaska Gov. Tony Knowles Wednesday declared as disaster areas key river drainages suffering the lowest salmon returns since statehood in 1959.

The scarcity of king and chum salmon in the vast Yukon and Kuskokwim river drainages and for the Norton Sound region in Alaska's northwest threatens the families, economy and culture of the mostly native villages in those areas, Knowles said.

Salmon returns "have now fallen so low that basic subsistence needs and spawning requirements are not being met," the Democratic governor said at a news conference.

The announcement, made after Knowles traveled last week to Yukon and Kuskokwim river villages, was the third consecutive disaster declaration for those regions since 1998.

Residents, mostly Athabaskan Indians and Yupik Eskimos, are worried that the salmon may not bounce back, the governor said.

"When I traveled to the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers last week, I saw something in people's eyes that I had never seen before -- fear. Fear for their families, and fear for their future," he said. "All along these two great rivers, two water bodies that are steeped in the history and legend and lore of Alaska, villagers are fearful that the salmon that they depend upon to meet their nutritional needs, provide for their economy, and which constitute an integral part of their culture won't be coming back."

Knowles said his latest disaster declaration will free up $1 million in immediate state aid to be distributed by a cabinet-level disaster task force.

In 1998, the federal government provided $7.5 million in aid to salmon-dependent villages in the Yukon, Kuskokwim and Norton Sound regions.

Last year, the state released $8 million and the federal government authorized $50 million in aid and fisheries research funds for western Alaska. In addition, the U.S. Small Business Administration provided nearly $30 million in loans.

The governor said he is seeking more financial aid from the state legislature and the federal government to get the villagers through the coming winter, provide for alternate employment and education and fund scientific research.

He has also ordered state officials to investigate the rivers for possible sources of pollution, such as leaking fuel, he said.

In addition, Knowles said, he wants state and federal fishery managers to bar any interception of salmon bound for the Yukon, Kuskokwim or Norton Sound spawning grounds.

That step would mean action from the U.S. State Department to crack down on illegal drift net fishing in international waters and measures by the Commerce Department to halt accidental bycatch of salmon by the huge trawler fleet that harvests pollock and other ground fish in the Bering Sea, he said.

Copyright 2000 Reuters. All rights reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed.

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