Wild Alaskan Salmon Need the Tongass and the Tongass Needs You!

We often point to the importance of sustainably sourcing wild populations of fish. One of the reasons it’s so critical to abide by our Smart Seafood Guide is due to endangered populations of fish. In particular, salmon is a species that is difficult to label “sustainable” across the board, due to the various circumstances surrounding the different locations where it’s sourced. Former Food & Water Watch Fish Program Director Andrianna Natsoulas, now working for the Sitka Conservation Society on salmon conservation, describes how development in the Tongass National Forest in Alaska can quickly threaten an ecosystem, in this case, a watershed that’s home to wild Alaskan salmon.

By Andrianna Natsoulas, Sitka Conservation Society

Salmon rank third-highest on America’s most popular seafood list, but not all salmon are alike. Savvy seafood lovers know that the best of the salmon are wild Alaskan salmon. What some may not know is that those salmon depend on the healthy watersheds of the Tongass National Forest, 17,690 miles of salmon habitat to be exact.

The Tongass National Forest is the largest national forest and is actually a temperate rainforest, covering over 80 percent of Southeast Alaska. Walking through the Tongass, you’d feel as if you’d stepped into a storybook forest with giant moss-covered cedar, spruce and hemlock trees. Over 200 species depend on the Tongass to survive and, of those, nearly 50 animals feed directly on salmon, including brown bears and bald eagles. Salmon go a long way, but they need your help.

For years, the management of the Tongass was based on old growth timber and road building, but that is a thing of the past. Unfortunately, the Forest Service is not yet up to speed. They still invest $25 million a year in timber and road building in the Tongass, yet only $1.5 million a year in watershed restoration, and salmon and trout habitat conservation. The timber and road building industries employ nearly 300 people, while the salmon and trout industries employ over 7,000 people. Those numbers do not match up.

The Forest Service needs to reverse the budget to reflect the ecological significance of the Tongass. They need to seriously invest in watershed restoration projects to ensure salmon and trout habitats are clean and clear for the thousands of fish that return to spawn each year. A well cared for Tongass is essential for healthy salmon populations and for conscientious seafood lovers across the country.

You can help turn the tide! Sign this petition that will be delivered to the Alaskan Senators, the Undersecretary of the Department of Agriculture and the Chief of the Forest Service. Join others in telling them that the time is now to change the funding priorities for the Tongass National Forest!