The Copper River Program
Within the Copper River ecosystem, salmon are the sustainable "natural capital" that is the key to local economies. Each year an average of 2–3 million sockeye, coho, and chinook salmon return to the system, with about 2/3 being harvested by the commercial gillnet fishery on the delta. The fishery averages $20 million/year in direct revenue to over 500 fishing permit holders, and another $20 million in processing and other secondary economic benefits.
Subsistence and sport fishermen on the upper river harvest over 200,000 salmon each year, with values estimated at between $3 and $5 million, a critical contribution to the upriver economy and culture.
The key to salmon (and financial) survival: Diversity, op-ed byErica McCall Valentine, Alaska Dispatch, 6/20/10.
By developing appropriate monitoring, conservation, and protection strategies for wild salmon and the habitat they depend on, supported by long-term scientific observations, we can continue to provide sustainable natural capital for dependent species, especially human populations.
Collaborators
Cordova District Fishermen United
Prince William Sound Science Center
Hicks Tribal Support Services (HTSS)
Ahtna Incorporated
North Cape Fishery Consulting
Institute for Social and Economic Research
North Pacific Research Board
Native Village of Gakona
Pacific Coast Joint Venture – Alaska
Ducks Unlimited
U.S. Forest Service – Chugach National Forest
U.S. Forest Service – Chugach National Forest, Cordova Ranger District
Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation – Wild Salmon Ecosystems Initiative
U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, Office of Subsistence Management
Native Village of Eyak
Native Village of Kluti-Kaah
Native Village of Cheesh’na
HDR Incorporated
State of Alaska, Department of Fish and Game – Subsistence Division
State of Alaska, Department of Fish and Game – Commercial Fisheries
State of Alaska, Department of Fish and Game – Sport Fish Division
U.S. Geological Survey, Woods Hole Coastal and Marine Science Center
U.S. Forest Service, Pacific Northwest Research Station
Earth Systems Institute
Wild Salmon Center
Copper River Consulting
Axoim Consulting and Design
Information Insights
National Park Service, Wrangell St. Elias National Park and Preserve
State of the Salmon
