Group items tagged

In SOAN249 today we briefly touched upon genetically altered Salmon, I looked into it more tonight--here's what I read. It seems like a crazy idea, like we talked about in class the Salmon are eating and being treated not so much as fish but another species. Fish live in the ocean, and Salmon are carnivorious, the fact that we are feeding them corn and other plant based materials, furthers the absurdity of the idea. Its taking an animal and reconstructing not only the biological make up but reconfiguring the behavioral patterns and 'lifestyle'.

Here is an article about the pending removal of two dams on the Elwha River in the Olympic Peninsula, WA. This would be the largest dam removal in U.S. history, and possibly a precedent for future dam removals. The dams do not have fish ladders, and have significantly reduced the salmon population in the Elwha river, so their removal could dramatically impact the ecosystem.

Our ENVS 490 class will be camping Saturday night right above the dam featured in the picture of this story, one of four slated to be removed for the sake of salmon runs, a plan bitterly opposed by some farmers in the area.

This is an older article about an issue that has caused a lot of controversy in Alaska between interest groups. The giant open pit mine proposed at the headwaters of Bristol Bay's salmon runs is a threat to the fishing industry and the environment and many oppose it. Many also support the jobs it would bring to the area and Native Alaskans who are the primary inhabitants of villages in Bristol Bay are divided on the issue as well.

On Tuesday, our ENVS 490 class (Culture and Environmental Conflict) will be touring Bonneville Dam, site of a major conflict over how to remove federally listed California sea lions, who have found the site a handy spot to dine on the endangered spring Chinook run (and others). The use of lethal force was approved, then court-retracted; what will happen to these pinnipeds come this spring?