Sadly, environmentalists and fishermen, who are conservationists, don’t have much in common these days. That’s because of much of the environmental agenda is inherently anti-fishing. Much of that stems from enviros refusal to differentiate between recreational fishing and commercial fishing. As a matter of fact, anglers were among the first “environmentalists” because of their concern for clean water and healthy fisheries. Today, they contribute hundreds of millions of dollars annually for resource management through license fees and excise taxes on fishing tackle. And, unlike commercials, they keep only a tiny fraction of what they catch.
But stopping Pebble Mine near Alaska’s Bristol Bay is one thing that enviros and anglers— both recreational and commercial– agree on. Its creation would lead to the devastation of one of the world’s few remaining unspoiled salmon fisheries.
More than 925 angling and hunting groups, as well as related businesses, now are on record as supporting EPA’s assessment of the danger and asking that agency to take the necessary steps to deny permitting for the mine.
Meanwhile, the Washington Post newspaper reports the following: