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California Fish and Game Commission Denies Miners' Call to Close
Karuk Ceremonial Salmon Fishery
Commissioners Vote Unanimously to Deny
Miners’ Anti-Indian Petition
P R E S S R E L E A S E
For Immediate Release: April 10, 2009
For more information:
Craig Tucker, Spokesperson Karuk Tribe cell 916-207-8294
Lodi, CA – Yesterday the California Fish and Game
Commission voted unanimously to deny a petition forwarded by a
coalition of recreational gold mining groups to stop the Karuk
Tribe from exercising its aboriginal right to dip net fish at
Ishi Pishi Falls on the Klamath River.
The vote is the latest in the ongoing battle between the Karuk
Tribe and recreational mining clubs over where and when the
practice of suction dredge mining can take place on the Klamath
River.
“The miners’ petition was clearly an attempt by mining clubs to
seek revenge for steps the Tribe has taken to limit mining in
order to protect struggling salmon runs. Out of 120 village
sites and associated fisheries, only one fishing site remains
accessible to the Tribe. After taking so much from the Karuk in
the past 150 years, the miners wanted to take this too,” said
Craig Tucker, a spokesman for the Tribe.
Suction dredges are powered by gas or diesel engines that are
mounted on floating pontoons in the river. Attached to the
engine is a powerful vacuum hose which the dredger uses to
suction up the gravel and sand (sediment) from the bottom of the
river. The material passes through a sluice box where heavier
gold particles can settle into a series of riffles. The rest of
the gravel and potentially toxic sediment is simply dumped back
into the river. Depending on size, location and density of these
machines they can turn a clear running mountain stream into a
murky watercourse unfit for swimming.
Biologists argue that dredges imperil fish and other species by
sucking them through the machines, rearranging the river
channel, and releasing plumes of sediment. The dredgers also
reintroduce mercury buried in the sediment since first gold rush
into the water column posing a risk to communities downstream.
Earlier this year, the Karuk Tribe petitioned the Department of
Fish and Game to stop issuing dredge mining permits until
studies on the effects on fish populations could be completed
and rules governing the practice could be revised as directed by
a 2006 court order. The Department rejected the Tribe’s petition
as well.
“The Fish and Game commission stood up for Tribal rights by
rejecting the miners’ petition. We urge them to continue in this
positive direction by putting strict limits on dredge mining,”
said Tucker.
Recently State Senator Pat Wiggins introduced SB 670 which would
put a moratorium on the issuance of suction dredge mining
permits until a scientific review is completed and mining rules
amended as necessary.
# # #
Editor’s note: for a picture of a suction dredge in action or of
Karuk Dip net fishing, email request to
ctucker [at] karuk.us
S. Craig Tucker, Ph.D.
Klamath Coordinator
Karuk Tribe
916-207-8294
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