press releases
January 8, 2024
Bristol Bay Fishermen Celebrate Supreme Court Decision to Reject Alaska v. EPA
(Dillingham, Alaska) – Today, the United States Supreme Court announced their decision to reject the State of Alaska’s challenge of the Environmental Protection Agency’s (EPA) Clean Water Act veto of the proposed Pebble Mine.
January 31, 2023
Alaskan Commercial Fishermen Celebrate EPA’s Historic Decision to Protect Bristol Bay
In a landmark decision, EPA Finalizes Clean Water Act protections for the world’s greatest salmon fishery responding to decades of Tribal and fishing industry requests
(Dillingham, Alaska) — Today, EPA announced the issuance of a Final Determination under the Clean Water Act to protect Bristol Bay, the most productive wild salmon ecosystem in the world. This action finally puts a stop to development of the Pebble Mine, protecting waters essential to sustaining Southwest Alaska’s salmon resources from disposal of dredged or fill materials associated with developing the Pebble deposit.
December 1, 2022
Alaskan Fishermen Ask EPA to Finalize Protections for Bristol Bay
EPA’s “Recommended Determination” follows extensive public support for durable protections for Bristol Bay and a record-breaking fishing season
(Dillingham, Alaska) — Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) issued its Recommended Determination regarding the Pebble deposit for Bristol Bay. This marks the next step in the process for EPA to stop Pebble Mine by enacting 404(c) Clean Water Act protections for the region.
September 6, 2022
Bristol Bay Celebrates More Than Half a Million Public Comments Urging EPA to Protect Bristol Bay, End the Threat of Pebble Mine Now
(Dillingham, Alaska) — Today, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) concluded its comment period on the Proposed Determination (PD) outlining potential protections for Bristol Bay. More than half a million people– including a record 30,000 Alaskans and 2,500 Bristol Bay residents–spoke out to once again resoundingly reject Pebble Mine.
May 25, 2022
Bristol Bay fishermen celebrate EPA’s proposed protections for world’s largest wild salmon fishery
Commercial fishermen urge EPA to move quickly to finalize 404(c) process
DILLINGHAM, AK - Today, as thousands of Bristol Bay fishermen and seafood industry workers prepare for what is predicted to be another record-breaking return of wild salmon, the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) announced that it will release proposed protections for the Bristol Bay watershed on Thursday, May 26th. The EPA’s Clean Water Act Section 404(c) Proposed Determination would help keep critical salmon habitat in Bristol Bay’s headwaters pristine and productive. This proposal comes in response to a 20-year long effort led by Alaska Native tribes, fishermen, and businesses to stop the proposed Pebble Mine from being built in Bristol Bay’s headwaters.
January 21, 2021
Pebble Mine’s permit appeal underscores need for permanent protections for Bristol Bay
Alaskan Fishermen ask President Biden for immediate initiation of Clean Water Act protections
DILLINGHAM, AK - Today the Pebble Limited Partnership (PLP) submitted its appeal of the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers’ (USACE) Clean Water Act dredge and fill permit denial. Their appeal once again brings into question the future of the Bristol Bay region and casts a threat over Bristol Bay’s wild salmon fishery - the largest and most valuable in the world.
December 2, 2020
Commercial fishermen join in the “Call to Protect Bristol Bay”
Alaska’s fishermen echo Bristol Bay tribes and call on lawmakers to establish lasting protections for Bristol Bay
DILLINGHAM, AK - Today, Alaska’s fishermen voiced their support for a “Call to Protect Bristol Bay,” a protection plan authored and released by Bristol Bay Native Association, Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation and United Tribes of Bristol Bay. The "Call to Protect Bristol Bay" asks elected officials, civic leaders and the public, to support permanent protections for Bristol Bay. The call includes two steps: asking the Environmental Protection Agency to use section 404(c) of the Clean Water Act to veto the Pebble Mine, and secondly asking Congress to establish the Jay and Bella Hammond Bristol Bay National Fisheries Area which would permanently establish federal protections for Bristol Bay’s headwaters, banning any toxic mine waste from large-scale mining projects that would harm Bristol Bay’s sensitive and irreplaceable rivers, lakes and wetlands.