Monday, October 16, 2006

Russia outconserves the US

Maybe Khruschev was right, they will bury us...with salmon.

While the US dammed, diverted, dewatered, and otherwise killed our salmon, Russia is taking steps to conserve salmon right. If they succeed, someday we may need Kamchatka's salmon to re-populate our rivers.

Pacific salmon are thriving in Eastern Russia, in the undeveloped wild watersheds of the Kamchatka peninsula. The government is saying all of the right things, and working to set aside huge areas of wilderness to provide salmon refuges. The salmon refuges would include 9 large rivers, more than 6 million acres, and uncounted millions of spawning salmon every year.

According to renowned biologist Jack Stanford: "Russia is getting it right, and we got it wrong.”

Meanwhile we will keep muddling along with our billions of wasted dollars, few fish, and grouchy fish lovers.

It's a good day for the oceans, and an even better day if we can learn from Russia.

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