KMXT 100.1 FM Public Radio in Kodiak, Alaska
Mouth of the Buskin River. Photo courtesy of the Department of Natural Resources
The Sun’aq Tribe has been awarded a $200,000 grant to conduct an 18-month study of declining salmon returns in the Buskin River. The grant is one of two awarded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to Alaska tribes.
Mouth of the Buskin River. Photo courtesy of the Department of Natural Resources
The Sun’aq Tribe has been awarded a $200,000 grant to conduct an 18-month study of declining salmon returns in the Buskin River. The grant is one of two awarded by the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service to Alaska tribes.
The money will allow the tribe to hire a biologist to research the Buskin River system and develop a salmon enhancement plan. Rick Rowland is the natural resources director for the tribe. He says they’re looking at an enhancement project that’s been successful in Southeast.
"It’s an enhancement to the natural salmon cycle in river and it turns out that that cycle enhancement takes a 22 percent success rate of return to a 75 percent success rate of return and when we found that we thought, ‘Oh my goodness, that would be best for this community because of the fluctuation of the salmon returns.’"
Rowland says part of the grant will allow them to involve the tribe’s youth.
"A portion of the will have the scientist use and hire youth within the tribe, within the community to go and learn about the science and the biology of the salmon and this whole process related to it."
Rowland says he hopes the outcome of the study and enhancement efforts means more fish for subsistence and sports fishermen.
