Important - and potentially disastrous -- prediction for 2009 Yukon River salmon run.

[Blue_In_AK]

Phil Munger has an excellent post at ProgressiveAlaska regarding the Yukon River salmon run - the collapse of which last summer was one of the causes of the western Alaska fuel/food crisis that is finally getting some national attention. Phil addresses the root cause of the problem, global warming.

http://progressivealaska.blogspot.com/2009/01/salmon-habitat-quality-questions-in.html

I. One of the results of focus since January 12th on the food and fuel crisis in villages of the Yukon-Kuskokwim delta has been some attention revisited upon the long-term health and viability of Yukon and Kuskokwim salmon stocks. A significant part of this winter's crisis is a result of poor fish returns in 2008 to the Yukon River. The Kuskokwim also saw very low returns of most species. In the Yukon, returning fish who make it upriver have recently been afflicted with a disease related to global warming, called “white spot disease.” It is caused by a microscopic parasite called Ichthyophonus hoferi. It renders the fish inedible.

First noticed in Yukon King populations in 1988, the disease's identification was botched at first by Alaska state-run labs, but the Center for Fish Disease Research at Oregon State University came up with the parasite's identification in 1989. Since then, the problem, experienced upriver from the delta, has gotten more serious, year by year. Coupled with the low numbers of Chinook, Chum and Coho entering the river, the subsistence economy for some Alaska Natives living upriver has been at least as devastating as it has been for communities like Emmonak in the delta.

Much written about the problem this winter in communities like Emmonak has focused on short-term solutions. Food and fuel have been flown in. Money is being raised for village infrastructures. The State of Alaska is finally contemplating competing with Venezuelan President Hugo Chavez, to provide fuel vouchers for needy rural families in Westward Alaska. But little has been written about the long-term relationship the Yupik of the lower Yukon and Kuskokwim share with the rapidly declining salmon stocks in their rivers.

<snip> ... much more.

This is a long post, but very informative and well worth reading.

[KT2000]

1. So many fish and mammals

are succumbing to parasites and chronic infections.
It is also the result of the degradation of our environment. It does not support health like we knew in the past.
Whales in Washington have been found to have lots of toxic chemicals in their ft tissue. Salmon in Washington have dioxins, PCBs and mercury at extremely high levels.
Global warming will likely take species out faster than we expected.