Savor Bristol Bay Salmon Week in Seattle, Washington

For Immediate Release
Nov. 13, 2009

Contacts:
Paula Dobbyn, Communications Director, Trout Unlimited Alaska
pdobbyn@tu.org [1] or 907-230-1513
Kevin Davis, Co-Owner and Executive Chef, Steelhead Diner
kevin@steelheaddiner.com [2] or 206-625-0129

Savor Bristol Bay Salmon Week in Seattle, Washington

November 15 – 21, 2009

Trout Unlimited and Seattle Chefs and Restaurants Come Together to Promote and Protect Alaska’s Bristol Bay, the Country's Most Prolific but Threatened Fishery; Event Coincides with Pacific Marine Expo 2009 at Seattle’s Qwest Field Event Center

(ANCHORAGE, Alaska) -- A weeklong celebration of Bristol Bay salmon kicks off in Seattle, Washington, this month. Bristol Bay, located in Southwest Alaska, is home to the nation’s largest and most valuable wild salmon fishery. During the week starting November 15, a variety of Seattle restaurants will feature Bristol Bay wild salmon on their menus to support Trout Unlimited’s Savor Bristol Bay campaign.

Chef Kevin Davis (right) of Steelhead Diner and Anthony Polizzi, Chef de Cuisine, display Bristol Bay salmon entrees.

Savor Bristol Bay is a unique collaboration between the fine dining industry and Trout Unlimited, the nation’s largest organization dedicated to the conservation, protection and restoration of North America’s coldwater fisheries and their watersheds. Savor Bristol Bay aims to educate seafood lovers about the unique flavor, health benefits and sustainability of Bristol Bay salmon while also informing consumers about the risks the fishery faces from Pebble, a proposed open-pit gold and copper mine.

If developed, Pebble would be one of the world’s largest open-pit mines, located in the headwaters of Bristol Bay’s most productive salmon rivers. This massive open-pit mine would alter, if not destroy, the region’s pristine spawning habitat and generate billions of tons of waste containing metals toxic to fish. The mine not only threatens the world’s largest sockeye salmon fishery but also the livelihoods of thousands of fishermen, many of whom live in the Pacific Northwest.

Trout Unlimited invites members of the media to sample Bristol Bay salmon at one of the restaurants participating in the Savor Bristol Bay campaign during the week of Nov. 15. (Participating restaurants are listed below.) Media members are also invited to encourage the public to help protect Bristol Bay by “voting with their forks” and asking seafood retailers and restaurants to offer Bristol Bay salmon throughout the year.

Savor Bristol Bay salmon week (Nov. 15-21) coincides with Pacific Marine Expo 2009 (Nov. 19-21,) the largest commercial marine trade show on the West Coast. Trout Unlimited is an exhibitor at Pacific Marine Expo. Media are encouraged to visit the TU booth and learn more about the campaign to protect Bristol Bay.

Seattle restaurants participating in Savor Bristol Bay:

• Art of the Table
• Chiso
• Emmer &Rye
• Etta’s Seafood
• Flying Fish
• Palace Kitchen
• Persimmon
• Ponti Seafood Grill
• Rover’s Restaurant
• Steelhead Diner
• Tilth Restaurant
• Tilikum Place Café
• The Pike Brewing Co.

For photographs of Bristol Bay salmon, contact Paula Dobbyn at pdobbyn@tu.org [1] or 907-230-1513

For more information about Bristol Bay, see:
www.savebristolbay.org [3]
www.whywild.org [4]
www.tu.org [5]