On 26 August, the Metlakatla Indian Community in southeast Alaska gathered to celebrate the recent certification of the Annette Islands Reserve salmon fishery – a community-managed fishery operating in tribal waters.
MSC’s regional director for the Americas, Kerry Coughlin, travelled to Metlakatla to join in the celebration and present a framed certificate to Arthur Fawcett, Mayor of Metlakatla Indian Community. Guests included Mike Black, Director of the Bureau of Indian Affairs for the US Department of the Interior, Kate Geldaker of US Senator Mark Begich’s office and other officials from the State of Alaska.
“Our ancestors who came to Annette Island in 1887 were dedicated environmental stewards of the land and the sea and MSC certification confirms our commitment to preserve the legacy we inherited and manage the resource to sustain the fish stocks and our heritage for future Metlakatla generations,” said Karl Cook Jr., a commercial fisherman and tribal member.
