Video: Fishermen concerned about Alaska's Bristol Bay

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SEATTLE -- The largest fishing trade show on the west coast is underway in Seattle, but many of the fishermen attending are in no mood to celebrate. They're worried about a mining operation in the works near one of the richest fishing grounds in the world, Alaska’s Bristol Bay.

Fisherman Marcus Ballweber is taking time off from chum salmon fishing in Hood Canal to attend the Pacific Marine Expo in Seattle, but his mind is eight months and 2,500 miles away.

Bristol Bay Alaska is home to the world's largest run of wild sockeye salmon. But, there’s also gold and copper in the hills around Bristol Bay and huge plans are in the works to get it.

"Once they start mucking around up there, with doing anything, they're going to clutter up the streams, destroy the salmon beds," said Ballweber.

Pebble Mine is an enormous project that is the subject of a film being debuted at the Pacific Marine Expo in Seattle. “Red Gold” highlights the struggle of fishing groups opposed to the mine. Many of those opponents are in Seattle for the expo.

"I think in the long run, if the mine goes in, the fishery is over," said small boat fisherman Lindsey Bloom. She worries the runoff from the mine will flow down the streams and rivers that form Bristol Bay and choke off the fish that thrive there.

She also warns that more than just a few small boats like hers are at risk, because when Bristol Bay is hopping, there are some 1,500 boats out there fishing and hundreds of them are from Seattle.

Ballweber has listened to powerful arguments from Pebble Mine advocates that modern technology will allow mining and fishing to co-exist.

"You couldn't destroy the Bristol Bay salmon fishery with Pebble Mine if you wanted to," said Bruce Jenkins of Northern Dynasty Mines.

But Ballweber and others in Seattle this week still worry Bristol Bay could get trampled in the latest Alaskan gold rush.