BlockCorporateSalmon members, along with the Backbone salmon inflatable, visited the Local Catch Summit on October 2-3 in Girdwood, Alaska, and hosted an ad hoc workshop at the conference. The conversation focused around education and building relationships with fisherfolk from around the country, as well as strategizing on ways to prevent genetically engineered (GE) salmon from coming to U.S. and global markets. After the conference, BlockCorporateSalmon members continued to travel to Homer and Anchorage, Alaska, to build local relationships with fisherfolk and build solidarity around blocking GE salmon.

During the workshop, BlockCorporateSalmon provided information on the dangers of genetically engineered (GE) AquAdvantage Salmon (created by the biotech company AquaBounty), including some of the recent information provided by a former AquaBounty employee. This information included a report of toxicological water conditions at the facility, the current and potential environmental impacts of GE salmon (including massive water and energy usage, and escape risks), and the lack of Indigenous cooperation or support in their exploits.

The objective of the event was to build solidarity and learn from the expertise of the fisherfolk attending the conference on the best ways to strategize and mobilize fisherfolk across the country to oppose AquaBounty’s product. BlockCorporateSalmon successfully raised awareness of the issues of GE salmon and came from the conference with many supportive contacts, potential strategies for future organizing objectives, as well as a host of images of fisherfolk from across the US expressing their solidarity.