MEDIA ADVISORY/TELEPRESS CONFERENCE INVITATION

 

For immediate release – Monday, March 26, 2012
Contact:   Scott Coughlin, 206-228-4141, scott@fieldworkcommunications.com
               
Commercial fishermen from Alaska to Maine oppose Pebble Mine and ask President Obama to protect world’s biggest sockeye salmon fishery

 

For the first time in the history of America’s diverse and regionally-based commercial fishing industry, a nationwide coalition of fishermen have joined together to protect commercial fishing jobs in a particular fishery. The Bristol Bay, Alaska sockeye salmon fishery is America’s largest and most valuable wild salmon run. It supports more than 12,000 fishing, processing, and seafood distributing jobs. This week, 74 fishing groups and organizations – including the Massachusetts Lobstermen’s Association, Associated Fisheries of Maine and the Commercial Fishermen of America – are sending a letter to the Obama Administration asking for the EPA to protect Bristol Bay and its unparalleled natural resources.

 

Up to 40 million sockeye return every year to Bristol Bay and the jobs and industry they support are threatened by a proposal to dig North America’s largest open-pit mine directly atop two of the region’s most productive salmon-spawning watersheds.

 

What:	Telepress conference of Commercial Fishermen for Bristol Bay, who are asking the Obama Administration to protect Bristol Bay’s clean waters and fish
When:	Wednesday, March 28, 10 a.m. Pacific Time
Dial:	1-800-341-9870;  passcode – Bristol Bay
Who:	Bob Waldrop, director, Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association Katherine Carscallen, commercial fishing captain Brett Veerhusen, commercial fishing captain  Peter Andrew, commercial fisherman; board member, Bristol Bay Native Corp.       Angela Sanfilippo, president, Gloucester’s Fishermen’s Wives (representing the national network of supporting organizations)