The Bristol Bay region is highly dependent on fishing for its economy.

The Bristol Bay watershed supports the largest salmon run on the planet. Offshore areas are critical feeding grounds for endangered northeastern Pacific right whales, of which only about 100 remain. Upstream areas include some of the world’s premiere trout and caribou habitat. Residents of Bristol Bay depend upon these resources for community-based commercial fisheries, small scale sport-fishing tourism, and subsistence lifestyles. Now, multinational companies such as Shell are pushing to begin offshore oil and gas exploration and drilling in the area. The natural gas from the area would likely be processed in an LNG facility for export.

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Pacific Environment