Leaders discuss salmon, caribou, pipeline

Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell made his first visit to the Yukon last week since succeeding former governor Sarah Palin, who stepped down in July 2009 to pursue a career in punditry with American news network Fox.

Alaska Gov. Sean Parnell made his first visit to the Yukon last week since succeeding former governor Sarah Palin, who stepped down in July 2009 to pursue a career in punditry with American news network Fox.

Premier Dennis Fentie held a brief news conference at cabinet headquarters in Whitehorse Friday afternoon to mark the meeting with Parnell, and the pair took questions from Alaskan and local media.

Dwindling salmon numbers in the Yukon River, Porcupine caribou conservation, the status of the proposed Alaskan gas pipeline and tourism rounded out the discussions, according to the two leaders.

Questioned on conservation measures for king salmon, Parnell referenced the Alaska Board of Fisheries’ move to prohibit subsistence and commercial fishermen from using gillnets with mesh larger than 7.5 inches.

The new rules, to take effect this year, would reduce the typical gillnet mesh by one inch. The idea is to prevent the larger king salmon from becoming trapped in the net, allowing them to reach spawning grounds upriver.

Fentie said the two governments also agreed to expand their co-operation with respect to monitoring the salmon population.

“We offered to the Alaskan government, and they reciprocated to us, working more closely to share information and best practices that will enhance our understanding of spawning grounds to marine environment,” Fentie told the Star this morning.

The Alaska government said it will attempt a Porcupine caribou census this year and agreed to share that information with the Yukon government.

A question on Yukon Zinc Corporation’s decision to bypass Skagway and truck its lead and copper concentrate to Stewart, B.C., to be shipped to Asia, momentarily placed Fentie on the hot seat. The premier said that choice by the Chinese-owned mining firm was out of the Alaskan and Yukon governments’ purview.

“You have to understand this is a corporation that makes decisions,” Fentie said Friday.

“Whether they want to choose Vancouver as a port, Stewart as a port or Skagway as a port; that’s the choices they make.”

For industry watchers, Yukon Zinc’s use of the port in Stewart B.C. as a transit point should come as little surprise, as it was part of the company’s overall plan for several years.

Parnell added that his government would continue to invest in expanding port facilities in Skagway.

The premier also told the Star that while economics will ultimately determine whether the proposed Alaska Highway gas pipeline goes through the Yukon, or to Valdez, Alaska, the Yukon government’s preference is for the project to traverse this territory.

“Our position is build the line (through the Yukon). The economics are better because we can contribute by adding our resource,” Fentie said.

“Not to mention the access, there are revenues to be derived from the pipe’s construction ... and a tremendous benefit for Canada in connecting (the pipeline) to the hub in Alberta.”

The premier said the Alaska pipeline issue loomed large in talks with Parnell over potential joint projects on energy, including converting diesel communities in the territory to natural gas. Hydro and wind projectsare other options, Fentie added.