Yukon-Kuskokwim Regional Tribal Government, what is your status?

My name is Steven M. Alexie, big supporter of this very essential government for the YK Delta. But haven’t heard any updates with regards to the formation of it. Where exactly are they? The recognition of the regional government? I know local tribes that are recognized have to be transparent and report locally. Why hasn’t the RTG reported their status? Is it a bust? It’s been nearly a year since they elected a president and only heard once to clear the air, nothing after.

Steven M. Alexie

Napaskiak, AK

Possible solutions to save Bering Sea Ecosystem

This is a letter I sent to Rep. Pelota commenting on Mr. Andrew Guys letter regarding the low chum catches in the Southwest rivers of Alaska:

Aug 10, 2023

Rep. Peltola et al:

You have a mountain to climb as you watch our bottom fishery take out our kings and chums with the Bering Sea bottom trawl for pollock.

I know this is a touchy issue since all the CDQ groups are your constituency.

It was difficult for me as the founding CEO of BBEDC to see what the bottom fishery was doing to our kings and chums.

I couldn’t take it anymore so I resigned because there was not enough being done to stop bycatch that was destroying our kings, chums, halibut and so many other of our marine species. My protestations fell on deaf ears.

It is going to require all user groups to come to the table and talk this out because if we keep pointing fingers at each other – by the time we finish finger pointing, bickering and fighting, there won’t be a fishery for any of us to participate in.

Bycatch, climate, marine environment, sea ice, hatcheries, intercept, feed for all species, ocean acidification (result of climate change) – are all contributing factors. In addition, poor management practices by NPFMC is culpable as well.

Technology – artificial intelligence and machine learning can help us alleviate and / or address these problems, based on data. That may mean we likely all have to give something up and feel the pain of those decisions in order to ensure that we have fisheries for future generations.

No more finger pointing. This is a Subsistence people issue and our people need to work together to pressure NPFMC, NOAA, the state, the state legislature, and the federal US Congress which has oversight powers on this issue but are abrogating their legal responsibilities to push for mitigation and ELIMINATION of bycatch in our bottom trawl fishery.

Possible solutions:

Draft legislation creating a Subsistence/ByCatch Task Force made up of a 12 member ByCatch Mitigation Task Force with 7 Subsistence Users, and the rest a CDQ person, and others in the mix who have a stake in any regulatory or legislative changes prosecuting the bottom fishing policies mitigating and ELIMINATING bycatch in the bottom trawl fishery.

1. Alternative Mandamus – an order often issued when an application for writ of mandamus has been made. The alternative mandamus allows the defendant to either perform the action demanded, or appear before the court to give good reason for not performing it.

2. Peremptory Mandamus – a categorical command to the defendant to perform the act in question, with no choice or alternative given. The peremptory mandamus is issued when the defendant failed to both perform the act, and to appear before the court as ordered in the alternative mandamus.

3. Continuing Mandamus – an order issued to a lesser government official, or a lower authority, to perform its duty promptly for an unspecified period of time, in order to prevent a miscarriage of justice.

Injunctive Relief

Injunctive relief, also known as an injunction, is a remedy which restrains a party from doing certain acts or requires a party to act in a certain way.

It is generally only available when there is no other remedy at law and irreparable harm will result if the relief is not granted. The purpose of this form of relief is to prevent future wrong.

Such orders, when issued before a judgement, are known as preliminary injunctions that can be punished as contempt if not obeyed.

Due to its coercive force, a grant of injunctive relief is subject to immediate review by an appellate court. The standard for review is an abuse of discretion.

Time is of the essence. We cannot let this issue languish and we must TAKE POSITIVE ACTION in order to save our Bering Sea ecosystem and prevent it from crashing and becoming a dead sea.

Best regards.

Nels Anderson, Jr.

Native American USAF Veteran

Dillingham, AK

Example: 9075434113