FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
September 16, 2024

Bristol Bay Leaders – and Sockeye Salmon – Celebrated in Nation’s Capital
BBNC brings wild Bristol Bay sockeye to Washington D.C.; honors supporters of this sustainable resource

WASHINGTON, D.C. – Bristol Bay Native Corporation (BBNC), along with numerous partners, hosted the seventh Bristol Bay Wild Salmon Celebration in the nation’s capital last week. The 2024 event brought together the Alaska Congressional Delegation, BBNC Board Members and staff, and other dignitaries and supporters to celebrate — and eat — wild Bristol Bay salmon. BBNC also recognized three Alaska leaders with Fish First awards to honor their commitment to and advocacy for Bristol Bay.

“This year we gather to celebrate all that we have achieved alongside our partners to protect Bristol Bay salmon and our way of life,” said Jason Metrokin, President and CEO of BBNC. “Recognizing these amazing individuals is our way of saying ‘thank you’ for all that they have done to support salmon and advocate for Bristol Bay and our way of life, though we all know there is still much work to do.”

BBNC bestowed three very deserving individuals with Fish First awards. They are:

• Mary Olympic (posthumous)
• Tim Troll
• Triston Chaney

Photos of the Fish First award ceremony are available here.

The Fish First awards recognize those who have supported and championed Bristol Bay and its wild salmon. Awardees are honored with a handcrafted salmon and trout skin basket created by Bristol Bay resident Marlene Nielsen.

The first Wild Salmon Celebration took place in 2017. Past Fish First honorees include Representative Mary Peltola, Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan, the late Congressman Don Young, the late Senator Ted Stevens and his wife Catherine Stevens, the late Governor Jay Hammond and his late wife Bella Hammond, the late Bristol Bay leaders Bobby Andrew and Harvey Samuelsen, Alaska State Representative Bryce Edgmon, Ekwok Tribal Council President Luki Akelkok, Norm Van Vactor, Alannah Hurley, Nancy Morris Lyon, Brian Kraft, the late Verner Stor Wilson III, former Alaska State Senator Rick Halford, and the late Bob Gillam.

It has been a year of action for the Bristol Bay region. Just prior to the start of another healthy return of sockeye salmon this summer, Representative Mary Peltola, a 2023 Fish First award recipient, introduced the Bristol Bay Protection Act in Congress. This crucial legislation would codify in federal law the long-sought regulatory protections the Environmental Protection Agency placed over large portions of important salmon habitat in the agency’s 2023 Bristol Bay Final Determination.

Other sponsors and supporters of the 2024 Celebration include:

• Alaska Air Cargo
• Anchorage Brewing Company
• Bessenyey & Van Tuyn LLC
• Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association
• Cassidy & Associates
• Denali Brewing Company
• Grant Aviation
• Leader Creek Fisheries
• L Squared Strategic Communications
• National Fish and Wildlife Foundation
• Nichols Liu
• Pacific Seafood Processors Association
• Six-7 Strategies
• Strategies 360

In addition, last week was Bristol Bay Salmon Week, where Washington, D.C.-area restaurants featured wild Bristol Bay sockeye on their menus. The restaurants were diverse in their fares, and each took a unique approach to prepare the Bristol Bay sockeye. Highlights of the salmon celebration and Bristol Bay Salmon Week on social media can be tracked using the hashtag #BristolBaySalmonWeek. Bristol Bay Salmon Week is sponsored by Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association (BBRSDA).

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About Bristol Bay Native Corporation: Bristol Bay Native Corporation (BBNC) is a diversified Alaska Native investment corporation dedicated to the mission of “Enriching Our Native Way of Life.” Established through the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971, BBNC works to protect the land in Bristol Bay, celebrate the legacy of its people, and enhance the lives of its shareholders. Learn more at bbnc.net.