Bristol Bay, Alaska

Click to view a map of the Bristol Bay area,
courtesy of the Renewable Resources Coalition

Alaska's Bristol Bay Watershed:
The World's Greatest Salmon Rivers At Risk

Several multinational mining companies want to build a massive gold and copper mine at the headwaters of the Bristol Bay watershed in Alaska -- home to the world's largest wild sockeye salmon fishery.

Bristol Bay Watershed: Southwest Alaska's Bristol Bay watershed is a land of superlatives. It supports the world's largest wild sockeye salmon runs and produces half of the world's commercial supply of wild sockeye salmon! Caribou, moose, and some of the world's biggest grizzlies roam the rugged landscape.

The Proposed Mine

The proposed Pebble Mine would be the largest mine in North America:

• Based on current ore projections, it will generate nine billion tons of mine waste over its life, which will be impounded in a seismically active area behind a number of dams.
• The mine will require the construction of a 100-mile road and massive power plant.
• The company proposes to withdraw more than 35 billion gallons of water per year from the Koktuli and Upper Talarik drainages -- which are key salmon spawning streams.

Spawning salmon

The Community and Fishery

Along with its natural beauty, the Bristol Bay is the most valued salmon fishery in the world and integral to Alaska's economy. The harvesting and processing of Bristol Bay salmon generates $320 million a year, and jobs for some 12,500 people. Anglers from around the world spend more than $60 million dollars a year to enjoy this sport fishing paradise that boasts Alaska's only designated trophy rainbow trout streams.

Salmon, caribou, moose and the many other fish and wildlife resources of the Bristol Bay watershed are vital to the subsistence way of life of Alaska Native people in the region.

Speaking Out

The proposed mine is meeting fierce opposition from Alaska Native communities, commercial fishing industry, sport-fishing and outfitting companies, elected officials and others.

For More Information

• Take a look at EARTHWORKS' No Dirty Gold campaign, and see the list of jewelers, and their statements, who recognize that Bristol Bay is an ecosystem of international significance and have vowed not to buy gold sourced from the Pebble mine.
• Map of the Bristol Bay watershed and the Pebble mine proposal
• Economics of of Wild Salmon Watersheds: Bristol Bay, Alaska
• Renewable Resources Coalition Scorecard of opposition to the Pebble Proposal
• The retailer pledge not to buy metals sourced from the Pebble proposal.
• On OurBristolBay.com you'll find fact sheets and more first person stories of how the Pebble mine proposal would harm local communities and the environment.

The below news articles and video describe the trip EARTHWORKS, Bristol Bay community members and fisherman made to the 2009 Anglo American annual shareholders meeting in London. They describe in detail the community opposition to the mine proposal.

• Anglo American seeks Alaska mine approval, David Robertson, timesonline.co.uk, April 15th, 2009
• Catching the imagination, OP-ED - Everett Leroy Thompson, April 15th, 2009
• Six UK jewellers pledge not to buy Pebble gold, Reuters in Forbes