Navy Responds to Plea Against Gulf of Alaska War Games in Spring 2023
Joint military exercises in the Gulf of Alaska, which take place every other spring on the eve of the Copper River commercial salmon fishery, are already drawing fire from entities concerned about adverse impact on the area’s fishery and environment in the spring of 2023.
While the actual scheduling of the Northern Edge war games will be determined by the U.S. Indo-Pacific Command, opponents of holding these exercises in May are asking the Naval Facilities Engineering Systems Command Northwest to cease holding the event in May of 2023.
The Copper River District has been experiencing below average harvests for several years and when it opens for 12 hours on Monday, May 16, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game is expected to take a conservative management approach for the start o...