Hunters, whalers and fishermen expressed their frustration to land and wildlife managers last week about the lack of collaboration when it comes to regulating marine mammals, caribou and fish.
"These agencies, I hear you every year say, 'Yeah, we're listening to you,'" said Faya Ewan from the Copper River area. "It's time to get a new hearing aid because we need our voices to be heard at the table."
The audience filled the rooms during various talks that spanned over a week during the Elders and Youth Conference and Alaska Federation of Natives convention.
During the Alaska Native Co-management of Marine Mammals workshop, people shared their concerns about pollutants affecting animals and how the health of one species in one part of the state affects species hundreds of miles away.
"Our caribou don't know those boundaries, our fish that travel up to the ocean don't know those boundaries, our marine mammals that rely on those fish — it's all connected, and we're facing some of the most major changes that we've seen in our lifetime," said Liz Quaulluq Cravalho, vice president of lands at NANA.
Original source can be found here.
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