On International Fisherman Day, Alaska fishermen remember Dan Sullivan’s abysmal anti-fish record. Two Alaska fishermen with “roughly 100 years of living and fishing in Bristol Bay” between them have slammed Dan Sullivan for misleading Alaskans on his connections to Pebble Mine, saying he can’t be trusted.
Their op-ed emphasized how Bristol Bay is “important to virtually every Alaskan” except Dan Sullivan, who “continues to pocket campaign money from those who’d destroy it.” Sullivan has taken thousands of dollars in campaign funding from Pebble executives, including disgraced CEO Tom Collier, who was caught on tape bragging about his ties to Alaska politicians, saying Sullivan wouldn’t stand in the mine’s way.”
“Dan Sullivan is failing Alaska fishermen,” said Alaska Democratic Party Chair Eric Croft. “He cashed out on farmed fish stocks to get richer, broke Congressional finance law to hide it from Alaskans, and funded his campaign with checks from Pebble Mine executives. Sullivan’s word holds no merit and Alaska voters will make him answer for selling them out to out-of-state corporations and factory trawlers.”
See more of Dan Sullivan’s anti-fish record for yourself:
Betting Against Alaska Fishermen: Self-Serving Sullivan broke federal law by failing to report tens of thousands of dollars in sales of stock in Mowi – the “world’s largest farmed salmon company.” He reported trading stock in a direct competitor to Alaska’s salmon fishermen and got caught red-handed concealing it.
Selling Out to Special Interests: Dating back to his time as the head of Alaska’s Department of Natural Resources, Sullivan approved a controversial coal mine on the Chuitna River that would “obliterate” 11 miles of important salmon-spawning streams in Southcentral Alaska. The mine would have completely dewatered the streams in order to mine coal set to be exported to China. The mine would have wiped out salmon in the river and faced intense opposition from locals and the fishing community. As a result of his greenlighting the project, Sullivan was called “anti-salmon” and was criticized by the fishing community for siding with “outside companies at the expense of everyday Alaskans.”
Protecting Pebble Mine: Sullivan has a nearly two-decade “long relationship of advocacy” for Pebble Mine, a project that is overwhelmingly opposed by Alaskans because it would jeopardize Bristol Bay. Not only does Sullivan have a history of association with Pebble Mine, he broke his promise to Alaskans to donate Pebble Mine-tied campaign cash and has continued cashing checks from the current Pebble CEO while staying silent publicly as executives push to resurrect the mine.
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