“In Alaska, we have left behind the days of discussing climate change in hypothetical terms. As coastal communities, as small business owners and people intimately connected with the landscape, we are witnessing what can only be described as systemic and unprecedented change—in terms of its speed and scale. Dry stream beds and die offs, erosion and mass fish migrations. These are the stories we brought to Washington, D.C., along with requests for practical steps to help our coastal communities and fisheries stay resilient in the face of sweeping change.

It is more important than ever that our federal leaders support fishery and oceanographic research, community infrastructure that bolsters resiliency efforts, and policy processes that integrate considerations for climate change impacts. We need management processes nimble enough to adapt and thrive with those impacts, and rigorous enough in its standards to conserve at-risk stocks, habitats and food webs. It is an honor to be a storyteller for our northern ecosystems, helping to connect what we’re seeing on the grounds to these long-term policy needs for our regions and nation.”

Hannah Heimbuch

Second-generation fisherman from Homer and Senior Consultant with Oceans Strategies

“Just in this year, we had multiple, unusual wildfires in my region. Our creeks were the most dry that many residents had seen. Incidentally, these last few years have also had the largest recorded sockeye runs.  I’m told that the heat has actually motivated these runs.  But what of the other creatures that we are seeing suffer in our regions?  I haven’t seen the caribou migration for over 15 years; and while commercial fishing this summer, we caught dozens of dead shearwaters in our nets.  Some of the change could be natural, and some could be unnatural, but I believe it’s safe to say that civilization has been at fault in the past, so why not again this time? We must continue to adapt for the wellbeing of our fisheries and local biology.”

Mili Lundgren

Second-generation Bristol Bay drift-netter and subsistence fisherman

“The Alutiiq people have inhabited the Kodiak region for at least 7,000 years. Recent years have brought a series of events that, once considered unprecedented, have become the new normal. These events include draught, flooding, forest fires, multiple record heat waves, seabird and marine mammal die offs, irregular fish returns, warm climate, invasive species and extreme fish mortality. The Alaska Federation of Natives declared climate change a state of emergency in Alaska at the 2019 Convention and reinstated its Climate Action Leadership Task Force to advocate for strong climate policies. I came to Washington D.C. to help others with less interaction with the natural world we call home in Alaska to share my experience and offer myself as a resource.”

Natasha Hayden, P.E.

Kodiak Island Native Alaskan, subsistence and commercial fisherman, Registered Professional Engineer, and the Director of Lands & Natural Resources for the Afognak Native Corporation