FISH WORSHIP

WASILLA — There’s something fishy brewing in the Valley.

Sportfishermen and conservationists are preparing for the Woodstock of salmon worship at the Salmon Symposium. From Nov. 16-17 at the Mat-Su Public Safety Building, numerous government, non-profit and private entities will gather to dish on the state’s most famous fish.

Included on the agenda is a presentation from artist and author Ray Troll, who asks in his colorful neon logo for the event: “Fish Worship: Is it Wrong?”

Valley resident Andy Couch answers with a simple “no.”

Couch owns and operates Fishtale River Guides and is a member of the Mat-Su Anglers Club, Mat-Su Mayor’s Blue-Ribbon Sportsmen’s Committee and the Matanuska Valley Fish and Game Advisory Committee. He’s also one of the symposium’s presenters, speaking about the economic impact of the salmon industry on the Valley.

A University of Alaska Anchorage survey shows sportfishing means about $30 million to the Valley annually, Couch said. But the total impact of salmon on the area is “really the million-dollar question,” he said. “Just to give you some ideas, for my guide service, salmon’s the money.”

When he talks to other guides and lodge owners, Couch said he gets the same feedback, with most saying 95 percent or more of their business from fishing comes from people wanting to land salmon.

“The people who aren’t in salmon just aren’t in business very long — mostly here in the Mat-Su Valley, anyway,” he said.

The symposium is the product of a partnership among numerous organizations, including the borough, Nature Conservancy, Chickaloon Native Village, ConocoPhillips Alaska, U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service, U.S. Geological Survey, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers and Mat-Su Anglers.

Basically, what the symposium does is allow the numerous commercial, nonprofit, government agencies and the public to get together, see what they’re goals are and pick up ideas, Couch said.

“I’ve been to two or three of these,” he said. “There’s just a lot of government groups you haven’t heard of. You wouldn’t believe the number of government groups just here in the Mat-Su Valley that work on salmon resources.”

The symposium will also reach out to educate some of the Valley’s youth. From 2 to 3:30 p.m., Nov. 16, Troll will visit Teeland Middle School, where he’ll talk about and teach students how to draw salmon.

Getting outside their bubbles to get a more broad view of salmon issues is beneficial for the groups that participate, he said.

“One good thing that comes out is a lot of people who may be working on their own little niche problems get to hear from all these other people,” Couch said. “And a lot of it is habitat.”

That’s one of the important themes at every symposium, he said. How to manage, maintain and grow salmon habitat is vital for the Valley and the industries that depend on salmon.

“Habitat is important, and one of the big success stories through the Salmon Symposium is the Big Lake system,” he said. “It seemed to be just flat written off and had been identified for years as a problem. That’s been addressed, its outlet structure. I don’t know if the pollution in Big Lake’s been addressed yet, but I believe (something) is coming to improve things there, too.”

Another concern he expects to be discussed at the symposium is the Fish Creek dipnet fishery, Couch said. Although it has opened for the past couple of years, there was a long stretch of about eight years before when it was closed.

To register, contact Corinne Smith at 276-3133 ext. 121.

Contact Greg Johnson at greg.johnson@frontiersman.com or 352-2269.