I would like to take this opportunity to speak about an issue that is often difficult to discuss: illegal fishing for salmon along the Yukon River. It is not a comfortable topic, but I believe it is one we need to address if we truly want to rebuild our salmon populations.
Before I begin, I want you to understand where I am coming from.
I grew up in St. Mary’s and lived there until I was in my 30s. I have subsistence-fished on the Yukon River my entire life. For more than 15 years, I have worked for my Tribe, listening to the concerns, frustrations, and hopes of our people regarding Yukon River salmon. Like many of you, I understand what it means to provide for your family. I understand the importance of passing on our way of life, our traditional knowledge, and our culture to our children and, grandchildren.
Because of that, I have made the difficult decision not to fish when regulations require it. I don’t do it because it is easy or because I always agree with management. I do it because I believe those sacrifices give our salmon the best chance to recover for future generations.
Many people on this call do not trust management. I understand why. There have been decisions made over decades that have damaged that trust. We cannot ignore the mistakes of the past, and we should continue holding agencies accountable.
But we also have to be honest with ourselves.
The decline of our salmon cannot be blamed on one group alone. We can point fingers at management, commercial fisheries, bycatch, environmental changes, or illegal fishing, but recovery will never happen if each of us believes someone else is responsible while excusing our own actions.
Every salmon taken when our stocks cannot support it is one less salmon reaching the spawning grounds. Every decision matters.
Sometimes we hear people say, “They’re fishing, so why shouldn’t I?” Or, “It’s my inherent right.” I understand those feelings. But if we make decisions based only on what others are doing, we become part of the problem we are trying to solve.
Whether we agree with every regulation or not, we live under the laws of the United States and the State of Alaska. While we continue advocating for better management and greater local involvement, we also have a responsibility to work alongside those agencies to rebuild the resource we all depend on.
When I hear reports of illegal salmon harvest during a time when every fish matters, it is discouraging. I think about the countless hours spent providing testimony, attending meetings, traveling throughout the Yukon River, and working with people who care deeply about these fish. I ask myself whether those efforts are enough if we are not all willing to do our part.
I have visited nearly every community along the Yukon River, including communities in Canada. Despite our differences, I have seen one thing everywhere: people love these salmon. I have seen the tears of Elders who remember when fish camps were full. I have seen parents worried that their children may never experience what they did growing up. From the mouth of the Yukon to the headwaters, the grief is real.
The Yukon River is enormous. It supports many communities, many cultures, and different salmon species that do not all travel to every part of the river. Some communities have opportunities that others do not. Some have other subsistence resources they can rely on. It is easy to let those differences create resentment.
But resentment divides us.
When we start thinking, “They get to fish, so I should too,” or, “They’re protesting, so I’m going to fish anyway,” we begin fighting each other instead of fighting for the salmon.
Division is exactly what weakens our ability to influence management and protect our fisheries. Unity is our greatest strength.
If we truly want our voices to matter, we have to show that we are willing to make the same sacrifices we ask of others. That means following the regulations even when they are difficult. It means speaking honestly about illegal fishing instead of pretending it isn’t happening. And it means working together—with Tribes, fishermen, state agencies, federal agencies, and our Canadian neighbors—to rebuild these salmon runs.
Our children and grandchildren will not remember who won an argument about management. They will remember whether there were salmon to catch.
That is the legacy we are choosing today.
Let’s choose to stand together. Let’s choose to protect what our ancestors entrusted to us. And let’s make sure that future generations can stand on these same riverbanks and experience the joy, pride, and responsibility of harvesting Yukon River salmon