The Karuk tribe has been lobbying the California Fiah and Game Department to limit suction dredge mining on the Klamath claiming hobbyist miners are damaging important spawning habitat. Recently a recreational gold mining club challenged the Karuk's tribe right to harvest salmon on the Klamath.
Leaf Hillman, Vice-Chairman for the Tribe, told Native American Times in an interview that the recent attacks upon their ancestral fishing grounds are, “Nothing more than Recreational Genocide.”
LINK (Via: Native American Times)
Klamath fish are worth more than gold!
Every summer, recreational suction dredge miners descend upon the Klamath and its tributaries in search of gold. Their gas-powered dredges disturb the river bottom, damage critical spawning habitat for salmon and other fish, release large plumes of sediment into the water, and are the source of fuel and oil spills directly into the river. Suction dredge mining harms aquatic life and fisheries and impacts anglers and other river users.
LINK (Via: Klamath Riverkeeper)
CSPA Joins Karuk Tribe in Lawsuit Against Suction Dredge Mining
The California Sportfishing Protection Alliance (CSPA) has joined in a lawsuit by the Karuk Tribe of the Klamath River and a coalition of environmental and fishing groups against the California Department of Fish and Game's use of General Fund money to support suction dredge mining. The suit is asking for an injunction until California Environmental Quality Act (CEQA) review is completed and other mitigations take place.
LINK (Via: The Klamath Bucket Brigade)