Opposition to offshore drilling voiced at Seattle Fish Expo
USA: Supported by World Wildlife Fund and with a representative from the Norwegian fishing industry, a group of Alaska fishermen and Alaska natives will meet to address offshore oil and gas drilling during this week's Pacific Marine Expo, formerly Fish Expo.
In a press release, David Harsila, president of the Alaska Independent Fishermen's Marketing Association (AIFMA), said "The solution to our nation's energy woes does not lie amid our most important fishing grounds. We urge our new President to protect these waters that sustain our livelihoods."
The group is also asking President-elect Barak Obama to reinstate drilling restrictions in fishing areas in Bristol Bay and Bering Sea. Such bans were ended by the current Bush administration almost two years ago. There are already plans in place by the Minerals Management Service (MMS) to conduct a Bristol Bay lease sale in 2011.
Alaska's Bristol Bay and southeast Bering Sea provide more than 40 percent of the nation's seafood harvest and are home to the largest runs of sockeye salmon in the world. The fisheries put at risk by offshore drilling also include pollock, halibut, cod, flatfish, herring and king crab. These fisheries are valued at more than USD 2 billion annually and support fishermen and families not only in Alaska, but also in the Pacific Northwest.
