Alaska Salmon: Push for Transboundary River Protections

Officials and stakeholders in Alaska are renewing calls for enhanced protections for salmon inhabiting transboundary rivers that flow from Canada into Southeast Alaska. These waterways support salmon harvests valued at more than $225 million annually, serving as a critical economic driver for the region.

Data compiled by the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) indicates that the Gulf of Alaska, which encompasses Southeast Alaska, contains approximately one-third of all North Pacific salmon. The region maintains a high and consistent salmon biomass supported by healthy Alaska stocks, making the preservation of these habitats a priority for fish harvesters and environmental organizations.

Congressional and Political Pressure

The Alaska congressional delegation has intensified its efforts to secure binding protections for the Salmon, Unuk, Stikine, and Taku river valleys. According to the organization Salmon Beyond Borders, the delegation has sent approximately 12 letters to the administrations of four different U.S. Presidents over the last 12 years to request these protections.

The most recent communication, dated February 26, 2026, demanded the cleanup of contaminated sites. One such site is the abandoned Tulsequah Chief Mine, which has contaminated the transboundary Taku River for nearly 70 years. The Taku River empties into the ocean just south of Juneau.

Regulatory Monitoring and State Response

Alaska state officials maintain that existing coordination processes are sufficient to address pollution risks. The Bilateral Working Group, established in 2015, serves as a formal coordination process between the governments of Alaska and British Columbia. The group conducts technical data exchanges and meets twice annually via teleconference.

On March 5, 2026, the state’s commissioners of natural resources, environmental conservation, and fish and game released comments stating that while Alaska does not permit Canadian mines, state agencies possess the authority to review technical data, monitor Alaska waters, and press for transparency and accountability through the Bilateral Working Group.

Randy Bates, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation (DEC) Commissioner, addressed claims from Salmon Beyond Borders that the state had left the public uninformed about mining threats. In a statement on December 5, 2025, Bates clarified that the state did not stop monitoring after a two-year pilot program ended in 2021, but instead transitioned to a permanent assessment framework utilizing U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) data.

For the 2026 Integrated Water Quality Monitoring and Assessment Report, the DEC assessed data from eight USGS monitoring stations located on the Unuk, Taku, Stikine, Salmon, and Alsek rivers.

Indigenous Rights and International Appeals

Indigenous groups have sought international intervention to protect these watersheds from mining developments in British Columbia. On August 1, 2024, the Southeast Alaska Indigenous Transboundary Commission (SEITC), which represents Alaska Tribes rooted along these rivers, requested that the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights order a temporary pause on mining activities.

The SEITC’s request followed a June 27, 2024, decision by Canada’s Ministry of Land, Water and Resource Stewardship. The commission argued that the decision denied the sovereign rights of downstream Southeast Alaska Tribes to be consulted on development decisions impacting their traditional territories.

Canada’s decision categorically silences those of us who have occupied and stewarded these watersheds for tens of thousands of years, long before the colonial border was established.

Lee Wagner, SEITC assistant executive director

Wagner, who is Haida, Tsimshian, and Łingít, described the lack of consultation as a threat to the waters, wildlife, and the way of life of the Tribes. The organization Re:wild joined Earthjustice and the SEITC in demanding that the Canadian government fulfill its duty to consult the Tribes regarding mining permissions sought by companies in the headwaters of the transboundary rivers.