Brown bears eat salmon carcasses near the mouth of the Russian River, Kenai National Wildlife Refuge

Kenai National Wildlife Refuge works with other State, federal, and private interests as part of the Kenai Brown Bear Committee to help keep Alaska bears wild and anglers safe.  The group has recently focused on the confluence area of the Kenai and Russian Rivers where thousands of anglers fish each year on the Refuge alongside some 30 brown and black bears.  The Refuge has implemented a new campaign this summer to address the core management concern in the area:  bears attracted to the site because of the abundance of food - primarily filleted salmon carcasses left behind by successful anglers.  The new message, "Stop, Chop, and Throw" (referring to depositing the fish carcasses into deep fast moving currents instead of on river banks) is directed at minimizing the easy food source that attracts the bears to the area.  Agency staff and volunteers have distributed educational messages in posters, flyers, news releases, direct communication with visitors, and a new AM radio transmitter that plays a recorded message about bear safety.  A DVD with the same message also plays on a continuous loop at the Russian River Ferry station where anglers congregate to cross the Kenai River to fish.  Managers hope the educational approach will work so additional regulations in the area will not be needed.  The Refuge is monitoring the effectiveness of the efforts this summer and will evaluate to plan for next year.