Fifty years ago, Patrick Pletnikoff spent his summers cutting fat off dead seals during Alaska’s yearly harvest. He competed with other young men to show who had the fastest knife. Today, he is fighting to protect the small remaining population of seals. He is hoping to create Alaska’s first marine sanctuary in the nearby waters. The creation of a protected area would give native people the power to limit fishing of the seals’ prey the fish the seals eat. Commercial seal hunting was once the economic driver of St. George, a small island far from the Alaskan mainland. But the native Unangan community has struggled to find a new trade in the years since hunting seals was banned. There are now less than 60 people left on the island. Pletnikoff is 73 years old. He is the island’s long-serving mayor. He has spent years pushing the federal government to add St. George as a U.S. marine sanctuary. He hopes such an act would start a new "conservation economy" on the island, one that is based on environmental tourism, scientific research and responsible fishing. It could be a new beginning, Pletnikoff said of his plan for the island. St. George and nearby St. Paul are sometimes called the Galapagos of the north for their rich wildlife in the northern Pacific. Pletnikoff said he has a responsibility “to our environment and the animal kingdom as well. Generations of Unangan people worked in hard conditions in the seal trade. The trade was first run Russian explorers and then the U.S. government. But now the U.S. government is aiming to give local people more power over their land and water - including powers to control fishing. U.S. President Joe Biden has promised to expand ocean protections as part of his efforts to fight climate change.
Title: Mayor Fighting for Seals in Alaska
Content: <div id='article-page'><div id='article-content' data-media-url='//news-app-staging.s3.amazonaws.com' data-base-url='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5214/C.wav' data-capture-url='//staging.analytics.lingraphica.com/events/capture_news' data-article-title='Mayor Fighting for Seals in Alaska' data-article-id='5797'><script src='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/javascripts/getscripts.js'></script><link rel='stylesheet' href='//news-app-staging.herokuapp.com/stylesheets/article.css' type='text/css' /><div class='article'><p><span data-start-time='0' data-end-time='11438'>Fifty years ago, Patrick Pletnikoff spent his summers cutting fat off dead seals during Alaska’s yearly harvest. </span> <span data-start-time='11438' data-end-time='19625'>He competed with other young men to show who had the fastest knife.</span> <span data-start-time='19625' data-end-time='26563'>Today, he is fighting to protect the small remaining population of seals. </span> <span data-start-time='26563' data-end-time='34188'>He is hoping to create Alaska’s first marine sanctuary in the nearby waters. </span> <span data-start-time='34188' data-end-time='45771'>The creation of a protected area would give native people the power to limit fishing of the seals’ prey the fish the seals eat.</span> <span data-start-time='45771' data-end-time='58917'>Commercial seal hunting was once the economic driver of St. George, a small island far from the Alaskan mainland. </span> <span data-start-time='58917' data-end-time='69938'>But the native Unangan community has struggled to find a new trade in the years since hunting seals was banned. </span> <span data-start-time='69938' data-end-time='74750'>There are now less than 60 people left on the island.</span> <span data-start-time='74750' data-end-time='79542'>Pletnikoff is 73 years old. </span> <span data-start-time='79542' data-end-time='83500'>He is the island’s long-serving mayor. </span> <span data-start-time='83500' data-end-time='91979'>He has spent years pushing the federal government to add St. George as a U.S. marine sanctuary. </span> <span data-start-time='91979' data-end-time='108667'>He hopes such an act would start a new "conservation economy" on the island, one that is based on environmental tourism, scientific research and responsible fishing.</span> <span data-start-time='108667' data-end-time='114604'>It could be a new beginning, Pletnikoff said of his plan for the island. </span> <span data-start-time='114604' data-end-time='127167'>St. George and nearby St. Paul are sometimes called the Galapagos of the north for their rich wildlife in the northern Pacific.</span> <span data-start-time='127167' data-end-time='136083'>Pletnikoff said he has a responsibility “to our environment and the animal kingdom as well.</span> <span data-start-time='136083' data-end-time='144563'>Generations of Unangan people worked in hard conditions in the seal trade. </span> <span data-start-time='144563' data-end-time='151896'>The trade was first run Russian explorers and then the U.S. government. </span> <span data-start-time='151896' data-end-time='163063'>But now the U.S. government is aiming to give local people more power over their land and water - including powers to control fishing.</span> <span data-start-time='163063' data-end-time='173958'>U.S. President Joe Biden has promised to expand ocean protections as part of his efforts to fight climate change.</span> </p></div><div class='control-buttons-sticky' style='display:none;'><div class='control-buttons'><button title='Back' class='back' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Play' class='play' disabled='disabled'></button><button title='Pause' class='pause' style='display:none;'></button><button title='Forward' class='forward' disabled='disabled'></button><button class='finished-reading' style='display:none;'>Done</button></div></div></div><div id='article-media'><div id='media-image'><img src='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5214/C.jpeg'/></div></div><div id='question-content' style='display:none;'><div class='vocabulary_question question-container' data-question-id=17827 data-hint-location='26563' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5214/what_is_a_sanctuary.wav'>What is a sanctuary?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='a place of refuge or safety'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5214/the_floor_of_a_building_which_is_partly_or_entirely_below_ground_level.wav'><span>the floor of a building which is partly or entirely below ground level</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5214/an_area_of_open_land_especially_one_planted_with_crops_or_pasture.wav'><span>an area of open land, especially one planted with crops or pasture</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5214/a_place_of_refuge_or_safety.wav'><span>a place of refuge or safety</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5214/a_deep_wide_ditch_surrounding_a_castle_fort_or_town_typically_filled_with_water.wav'><span>a deep, wide ditch surrounding a castle, fort, or town, typically filled with water</span></div></div></div><div class='multiple_choice_question question-container' data-question-id=17828 data-hint-location='45771' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5214/in_which_state_is_the_island_of_st_george.wav'>In which state is the island of St. George?</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='Alaska'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5214/maine.wav'><span>Maine</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5214/alaska.wav'><span>Alaska</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5214/california.wav'><span>California</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5214/texas.wav'><span>Texas</span></div></div></div><div class='sentence_completion_question question-container' data-question-id=17829 data-hint-location='163063' style='display:none;'><div class='question' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5214/us_president_joe_biden_has_promised_to_expand_ocean_protections_as_part_of_his_efforts_to_fight__blank_.wav'>U.S. President Joe Biden has promised to expand ocean protections as part of his efforts to fight <span class='blank'>climate change</span>.</div><div class='choices' data-correct-choice='climate change'><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5214/bears.wav'><span>bears</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5214/hunger.wav'><span>hunger</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5214/climate_change.wav'><span>climate change</span></div><div class='choice' data-sound-name='https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5214/fires.wav'><span>fires</span></div></div></div><div class='question-buttons'><button class='skip-button'></button><button class='hint-button'></button><button class='speak-button'></button></div></div></div>
Sound Name: https://news-app-production.s3.amazonaws.com/articles/5214/C.wav
Preview
