In May of 2024, Tanana Chiefs Conference’s (TCC) Executive Leadership signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s (NOAA) National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) to act as a cooperating agency in the next draft of the Chum Salmon Bycatch Environmental Impact Statement (EIS). The EIS will be used by the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council (NPFMC) to decide how they will go about setting Chum Salmon bycatch limits for the Bering Sea Pollock fisheries.

Since July of 2024, TCC’s Tribal Resource Stewardship Department (TRSD) staff have been working in close collaboration with other Tribal cooperating agencies – Kuskokwim River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (KRITFC) and the Yukon River Inter-Tribal Fish Commission (YRITFC) – to co-author multiple sections which will be included in the main body of the EIS. Collaborators are also working to develop several more detailed documents to be included in the appendix section of the EIS.

These documents were compiled with input from as many Tribal advocates as TCC’s TRSD staff could collect during the limited timeframe available for drafting. The appendix documents are considered living documents. If you find errors or missing information while you’re reading them, please reach out to the TRSD so that we can update the documents as needed. This document should be an accurate representation for the TCC Tribes and their Tribal Members.

Our contributions as a cooperating agency means that we are actively collaborating in the EIS development and providing specialized knowledge. Cooperating agencies are integral to ensuring that the EIS thoroughly examines the environmental, cultural, and economic impacts of bycatch. For Tribal organizations, this role highlights the importance of integrating Tribal expertise, traditional ecological knowledge, and community-specific concerns into the decision-making process. By contributing as co-authors, Tribes ensure the EIS reflects a deep understanding of the cultural, ecological, and subsistence significance of chum salmon. This collaboration emphasizes the critical need to address bycatch impacts in a way that respects Tribal rights, sustains salmon populations, and supports the long-term health and resilience of Indigenous communities and ecosystems.

The Chum Salmon Bycatch EIS will be presented at the upcoming NPFMC’s special meeting in Anchorage, scheduled for February 3-10, 2025. During this meeting, the NPFMC will be given several staff presentations on the different sections of the EIS, and public comment on the EIS will also be heard. At the subsequent meeting, taking place September 29th-October 8th, 2025, also in Anchorage, the NPFMC will decide which action alternatives will be used to establish Bycatch limits for Chum Salmon in future fishing seasons.

TCC’s TRSD staff, in collaboration with KRITFC and YRITFC, will host multiple outreach events and advocate trainings on this EIS effort. These initiatives aim to prepare Tribal advocates and partners to actively participate in decision-making spaces and advocate for management practices that protect the Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim (AYK) salmon.

Learn more about this process and how you can be involved:

More opportunities for informational sessions and assistance sessions will be posted on our social media outlets

Upcoming Events:

Jan. 03, 2025, 6-7PM virtually – Unlocking the EIS Process: Learn How to Engage and Make an Impact

This webinar will offer an overview of the EIS process, key insights into the current EIS draft, and a roadmap of what to expect as the process moves forward.

Jan. 17-19, in person in Galena, AK – Tribal Advocate Training co-hosted by TCC TRSD & Louden Tribal Council

This training session will cover the NPFMC EIS process, cooperating agency documents, and drafting tribal advocate’s public testimony both verbal and written.

Jan. 21, 2025, 6-7pm virtually – Amplifying Tribal Voices: Engaging in the EIS Process to Protect Our Resources

Join our virtual testimony training and support session to learn how to make your voice heard and ensure your perspective is on the record!

Review TCC’s Appendix Documents on the TRSD landing page:
https://www.tananachiefs.org/fish-commission/