VOA – CONNECT
EPISODE # 319
AIR DATE: 02 23 2024
FULL SHOW TRANSCRIPT

SHOW OPEN
((Animation))
((VO/NAT/SOT))
((Title))
Family Fish Camp
((SOT))
((Sofie Fransen
Daughter))
I’ve been coming out here every year since I was born. It's kind of in my blood. I love being in the boat. I love the water, love boats. I love fishing, so…and the money is great.
((Animation))
((Title))
Coral Reef Bleaching
((SOT))
((Jennifer Pollom
Ocean Foundation Conservation))
When temperatures get too high, they expel the algae that lives in their cell wall, and that’s what gives them about 90% of their food intake. The algae photosynthesize, and then the coral uses that for food. When they bleach, they expel all that algae, and that’s why they are white because the algae is what gives it a color.
((Animation))
((Title))
Sailing the Chesapeake
((NATS))
((Animation))


((PKG)) FAMILY FISH CAMP
((TRT: 16:47))
((Producer/Camera/Editor: Gabrielle Weiss))
((Map: Bristol Bay, Alaska; South Naknek, Alaska))
((Main characters: 3 female; 1 male))
((Sub characters: 3 female; 3 male))
((Blurb: Home to the largest sockeye salmon run in the world, Bristol Bay salmon are thriving while the rest of the world has seen their salmon fisheries decline or all but disappear Set-netting is one form of commercial fishing where the net is stationary, anchored off the beach usually close to ‘fish camps’ where people live during the summer fishing season. Alaska’s seafood industry is one of the biggest economic drivers in the state.))
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Text on screen/Over Drone shot:
The Fransen Fish Camp))
((Courtesy/Drone shot: Rafael de la Uz))
((Greg Fransen
Father))
Okay, I'll ask a blessing. Thank you for this crew. Thanks, Lord, for the privilege it is to be involved in this fishery. And thank you for our healthy bodies. And thank you for each person around this table. We pray, just bless this food to our body. In Jesus’ name, Amen.
((Sofie Fransen
Daughter))
Sleeping and eating are priorities when we're not fishing.
((Cody Fransen
Son))
Mostly eating. Equal. Fishing and eating are equal, and sleeping is a close second.
((Greg Fransen
Father))
Everything revolves around the fishing, and when we're out there fishing, so eating can wait, sleeping can wait.
((Cody Fransen
Son))
You barely notice that in the boat. But then you like come in and just fall asleep on the table. It’s like, I guess, I am tired.
((Lori Fransen
Mother))
They're eating breakfast and then their heads are on the table, snoring within seconds, yeah.
((Sofie Fransen
Daughter))
I’ve been coming out here every year since I was born. I think I maybe missed one summer, so it's kind of in my blood. So, I grew up playing here on the beach, and now I'm working for my dad, and, yeah, paying my way through college with the money I earn in the summer.
((Lori Fransen
Mother))
I'm super proud of her. Just at this point, hasn't had to have a huge, take out a loan and have huge debt. And that's always a concern.
((Sofie Fransen
Daughter))
This job is just so unique in that the fish come and they hit, and when there's a lot of them, you get paid a lot. And it's just such a unique experience. And sometimes you don't get paid a lot if there's not a lot of fish.
((Greg Fransen
Father))
I’m a little bit concerned about the youth of this generation and the fact that there can be a bit of an entitlement mentality. And I think this helps teach the value of work, the value of a dollar that's earned. And I think that's really important. I think some of that's getting lost today.
((NATS))
((Greg Fransen
Father))
Okay, let's get our gear on. Shall we?
((NATS))

((Sofie Fransen
Daughter))
This here’s our army truck. We’ve had this forever. As you can see right now, it’s hooked up to the line which goes way out into the water. And the net is attached on this line right here. So, as the tide comes in, we use the clamp and use the truck and we can pull the net in with the tide. And it’s really nice to keep the net close to the beach because a lot of fish run near the shore. So, yeah, as the tide keeps coming in, we pull it in, and then as the tide goes out, then we can pull it out too, and keep fishing for as many hours as we can get the boat underneath the net.
((Courtesy/Drone shot of boat: Rafael de la Uz))
((NATS))
((Greg Fransen
Father))
Okay, you ready? Okay, pulling ahead.
((Sofie Fransen
Daughter))
It takes a lot of practice. There’s actually a lot of technique. This one is definitely very tangled. That’s okay. I ripped the face off.
((Greg Fransen
Father))
I saw that. To be fast, always keep fish in front of everybody. We don't wait for somebody to get a fish out of the net. We bring that fish all the way to the stern, so everybody has fish in front of them. We pick and deliver, pick and deliver as fast as we can until we run out of water, or until the tide goes out too far.
((NATS/MUSIC))

((Sofie Fransen
Daughter))
He taught me when I was really young, so I feel like every year like I gain more skill. Yeah.
((Greg Fransen
Father))
Good job, you guys. Two and a half bags. That works.
((Tender operator))
Hello. What’s going on?
((Courtesy/Drone shot of boat: Rafael de la Uz))
There we go. Easy down. Here we go.
((Greg Fransen
Father))
Yeah, we’re good to go.
((Tender worker))
1,382 pounds.
((Greg Fransen
Father))
Yeah. We'll take it. That was a good, good little pick.
((Tender operator))
What is it, three years now?
((Greg Fransen,
Father, Fisherman))
Yeah, I think so.
((Tender operator))
Has it been? Is it four or three?
((Greg Fransen,
Father, Fisherman))
Three, I think.
((Tender operator))
Three. It’s only going to get better. We’re going to spend a lifetime together. I’ll pass away and then I’ll hand it off to my kids. She’ll be working with my kids.
((Sofie Fransen
Daughter))
Great!
((Greg Fransen
Father))
Are we ready?
((Sofie Fransen
Daughter))
Ready. We’re good to go. See you soon. Bye, guys.
((NATS/MUSIC))

((Courtesy/Drone shot of boat: Rafael de la Uz))
((Sofie Fransen
Daughter))
I love being in the boat. I love the water, love boats. The hardest part is definitely the hours. It’s pretty exhausting. But I love fishing, so…it’s all…and the money’s great too, so it’s a good aspect. Yeah, I hope just to continue as long as I can.
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Text on screen/Over drone shot:
The Bandle Family Fish Camp))
((Courtesy/Drone shot of Fish Camp: Rafael de la Uz))
((Sharon Bandle
Grandmother))
My name is Sharon Bandle. This is my husband, John Bandle. We’re currently in South Naknek. This is our traditionally called ‘fish camp’. And it's where you spend your time during the summer while you're fishing.
((Courtesy/Drone shot of boat: Rafael de la Uz))
((John Bandle
Grandfather))
This area is unique in the fact that it has the volume that it has for this particular type of fish.
((Courtesy/Drone shot of boat: Rafael de la Uz))
((Sharon Bandle
Grandmother))
It is the largest red salmon area in the world. We came down here early eighties, when our kids were six years old and four years old. We've been married 50 years, and before we were married, we fished in southeast Alaska, and that…it's something that John really loved.
((NATS))
Get the hot dogs. They’re inside.
((Sharon Bandle
Grandmother))
We’re fortunate enough to have electricity and a telephone and a washer and dryer. Not everybody has that. So, we feel very fortunate.
((Asher
Fisherman))
Yeah, our cribbage match. Dave, stomping me pretty good. Eleven.
((Sharon Bandle
Grandmother))
This is a cabin that is very small, very tight, very compressed. We actually, we have eight bunks. You can sit on the bed here. This little area here, at my age, is somewhat of a challenge to get into. And you don't want to get up too fast because these hang down. So, John and I have hit our head a number of times. But you know what? That's just all part of what's going on here, so. But we have the things that we need. We have water that comes out of a tank. We've got a refrigerator here, a microwave, and we've got pork roast in there.
((Asher
Fisherman))
Two, four, six, eight, pair for ten, pair for twelve.
((David Nogg
Fisherman))
A comeback in the making. Perfect day for cards. Our only concern is just living by the tides, and the excitement of catching a lot of fish, and watching our kids enjoy themselves, and being able to do all these things as a family. Pretty amazing. Having friends come out. It's pretty special and pretty rare.
((Asher
Fisherman))
Yeah, it's been really cool. These guys have opened it up, you know, just because it is a place where, like you, you come out here, and then you're like, ‘Oh, I want to show you this’. It’s that kind of place.
((Noah Nogg
Grandson))
Let’s see. I'm trying, I'm trying to get some paper towels for the fire.
((David Nogg
Fisherman))
For the fire? What are you doing?
((Noah Nogg
Grandson))
Oh, we’re making s’mores.
((David Nogg
Fisherman))
Oh, gotcha.
((Noah Nogg
Grandson))
It’s going to be fun. I might give one to you, okay?
((Courtesy/Drone shot of pier and town: Rafael de la Uz))
((Sharon Bandle
Grandmother))
If you haven't been in a rural community, it's a little different than being in an urban community. If you're expecting Starbucks, there's not going to be one on the corner. You need to be very creative in how you do things, and you need to sort of understand that before coming here. This is our new addition this year. I don't know of too many people who have had an outhouse with warm water sink to wash your hands afterwards…and typically Alaskan...and it was cute. My second night here, I opened the door and there was a bear right outside here.


TEASE
((VO/NAT/SOT))
More after the break…
((Title))
Family Fish Camp
((SOT))
((Evelyn Chase
Mother))
Bristol Bay is known as one of the top producing wild salmon industries in the world. And it has always had a really good reputation.

BUMPER
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((SOCIAL MEDIA PKG.)) LAMB MOWERS
((TRT: 1:00))
((Original Producer: Faiza ElMasry))
((Original Camera/Editor: Adam Greenbaum))
((Social Media Producer/Editor: Lisa Vohra))
((NATS: Cory))
Good morning, sheep. Baa, sheep!
((Cory Suter
Founder, LambMowers.com))
When someone hires LambMowers.com, they get a flock of sheep in the yard.
((NATS: Cory))
So, this is your grazing area today. We've got lots of work to do.
((Cory Suter
Founder, LambMowers.com))
This is a supplemental service to like an existing lawn care service. It might replace the spray, but it's not going to replace completely the lawn mower mowing.
((NATS: Cory))
Cinnamon, you're saying hi?
((Cory Suter
Founder, LambMowers.com))
Their most important role here on our farm, it's to provide nutrients for our garden.
((Cory Suter
Founder, LambMowers.com))
Sheep’s little fertilizer pellets or manure is 30 percent carbon. And so, not only do we make the grass a lot healthier but we're also helping bring carbon back into the soil, which has been greatly depleted. That's why I'm so passionate about protecting soil because we need that soil to sustain life for future generations.
((NATS: Cory))
Yeah, come on over. No?
BUMPER
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((TITLE: FAMILY FISH CAMP continues…))
((MUSIC/NATS))
((Sharon Bandle
Grandmother))
And typically Alaskan...and it was cute. My second night here, I opened the door and there was a bear right outside here. You can leave the door open, you get an absolutely spectacular view.
((Noah Nogg
Grandson))
There’s a weasel.
((Sharon Bandle
Grandmother))
Grandkids talk all winter about my cabin, my cabin on the beach. “I can't wait to go to. When are we going to the cabin?”
((Tiffany Bandle Nogg
Daughter))
We don’t want that. We don’t want it to go out.
We were actually out here when we found out we were having a little girl, and it just seemed really fitting to go with Bristol. We do call her Bristol Bay. And then my son is Noah, the boat builder. So yeah, I definitely naming my kids after this place shows kind of how much it means to me. I first came out here in 1986. So, for me, it's just always been part of my life. All the rules at home, you're allowed to break out here during the summer. So, when I got older, I really wanted my kids to grow up the same way I did and kind of escape from the city life during the summers.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((John Bandle
Grandfather))
Time for us to go catch a fish.
((Courtesy/Drone shot of boat: Rafael de la Uz))
((Sharon Bandle
Grandmother))
This fishing has gone on for hundreds of years by the native people who were here before. So, we need to respect that. We needed to learn from them. And we wanted our children to also understand that, so that they understood what Alaska is really about. Our daughter and son-in-law have been basically kind of running the site for us.
((Dave Nogg
Son-in-law))
When I'm not here, I'm a principal of a middle school in Anchorage and my wife is a teacher. So, this is a wonderful way for us to have family time, but also another income, and more than anything, just live as Alaskans, because we're both born and raised here, and this is just a part of the fabric that makes this such an amazing state.
((Courtesy/Drone shot of boat: Rafael de la Uz))
((NATS))
((Fisherman))
Sometimes these tender operators get a little wild with the crane.
((Dave Nogg
Son-in-law))
Oh! Otter Pops. We’re easily entertained out here.
((Tender Operator))
I'll give you a red one too, because like that flag, right?
((Dave Nogg
Son-in-law))
Perks of the job. It’s the small things.
((Tender Operator))
See you guys.
((Dave Nogg
Son-in-law))
We’re Bristol Bay family. We all rely on each other and look out for each other. So, it's just a neat community.
((John Bandle
Grandfather))
As long as you enjoy it and get your fish, it’s a win.
((NATS))
((Courtesy/Drone shot of town and water: Rafael de la Uz))
((Courtesy/Drone shot of boat: Rafael de la Uz))
((Evelyn Chase
Mother))
Bristol Bay is known as one of the top producing wild salmon industries in the world. And it has always had a really good reputation.
((Text on Screen/Shot of jacket hanging on porch:

The Chase Family Fish Camp))
((Evelyn Chase
Mother))
It’s still morning. Did Alli wake up with a song in her heart?
((Allison Chase
Daughter))
Not yet. We'll see what happens when we get on the water.
((Evelyn Chase
Mother))
Since she’s a little girl, she’d sing first thing in the morning. ((NATS))
((Evelyn Chase
Mother))
Morning Greg.
We fish for Alaska General Seafoods, which is based out of Naknek, North side. When we're done picking our net, we’ll drive over to the tender. And once we get to the tender, they'll offload it, weigh it, then they take it, and they process it in the cannery. You know, from there it goes to, you know, whoever their buyers are.
((Allison Chase
Daughter))
It’s a beautiful day.
((Evelyn Chase
Mother))
Goodness, girl. Hang on to it.
((Allison Chase
Daughter))
What?
((Evelyn Chase
Mother))
Hang on to it.
We used to have these little games, who can be the fastest at picking fish? As the kids were growing up, that was one of their goals as they become the faster picker.
((Allison Chase
Daughter))
I do have a lot of fun here. Usually my sister, Gabi, is here and we have a lot more fun on the boat, but she’s home this summer. Usually, we spend all summer together on the boat, picking together, yeah.
((Evelyn Chase
Mother))
These kids have grown up. They know exactly what they need to do when they need to do it. You know, some kids will come out here, they'll be miserable, and I always just kept telling them, you know, you can do anything for two weeks. It doesn't have to just be fishing. But, you know, when life gets hard and you want to quit, just think, in two weeks, I could be done with this. And so that's kind of been my work philosophy with the kids, especially when they're in high school. And, you know, they don't want to get out of bed at 4 o’clock in the morning. It's just not fun, you know. And I would just say, you know, we do this, you know, for part of the summer. The main part of the fishing season is two weeks. You can do anything for two weeks.
((Allison Chase
Daughter))
It’s 50 fathom, mom.
((Evelyn Chase
Mother))
Need that arm exercises, Alli. They haven't always bought into it. You know, they've wanted to do something else or, you know, go to softball games with friends or, you know, just do summer things. But, you know, we've never had that. Because in life, you do miss out. There's things in life you miss out on. And when they grow older, I think they've learned that, you know, there's some other kids who are missing out on a whole bunch more.
Well, I think we already have half a bag.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Courtesy/Drone shot of boat: Rafael de la Uz))
((Courtesy/Drone shot of house, dirt roads: Rafael de la Uz))
(Evelyn Chase
Mother))
My fancy kitchen tools.
My mom is Alaskan native from here. She grew up here. She was one of the original set-netters in our family. So, her permit was passed on to her from her grandfather. Our philosophy in salmon fishing has never been about the money. It has a historical value to me, just personally, a traditional value for commercial fishing here. You know, it's something that my mom loved to do, and I felt very fortunate to be able to carry it on. I have to remind myself and my family that it's not about the money. But economically, if that's what we're going to look at it, for then, it changes everything. It changes how you're going to raise your kids. It's going to change how, you know, you do life. It's a short period of time that you could be together but learn how to be together working as a family, which a lot of people don't do a lot of. That was one of our goals, was to raise our children here, and with set netting, you have to go and do a lot of physical labor while doing it.
((Allison Chase
Daughter))
Whenever we like talk to most of our friends, the first thing we probably say is, “Hi, I am Alli. I am from Alaska and I commercial fish.” Like that's kind of the way it goes, and that's our number one thing that we're proud of, to say that we do in the summer, because it's such a family bond and everything.
((Evelyn Chase
Mother))
It's not just fishing. It's deep and part of each and every one of them. I plan on coming out here every summer for as long as I can, as long as the Lord will allow. It’s my goal for sure. I would love to raise my family out here too just as my family did. It’s just a different type of peace.
((NATS/MUSIC))

((TITLE)) RESTORING CORAL REEFS
((TRT: 5:58))
((Producer/Camera/Editor: Genia Dulot))
((Map: Key Largo, Florida))
((Main characters: 3 female; 0 male))
((Sub characters: 0 female; 0 male))
((Blurb: Witness the devastating impact of unprecedentedly high temperatures on Florida's coral reefs and the heroic efforts of a marine conservation organization to restore and conserve these vital ecosystems facing rapid climate change.))
((NATS))
((Jennifer Pollom
Ocean Conservation Foundation; Rainbow Reef Dive Center))
Hi, I am Jennifer Pollom. I am executive director of the Ocean Conservation Foundation as well as director of conservation at Rainbow Reef Dive Center here in Key Largo.
We are just off the shore in Key Largo here, diving in the Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary. And we are on Molasses Reef, which is one of the most beautiful and popular reefs in the Keys to dive. We’ve had unprecedentedly high temperatures down here this summer. We usually have high temperatures, we are in Florida, but it got really hot, really quickly, really early here. And the corals we are finding really are not responding very well. We are seeing a lot of bleaching all over the reef, especially with the branching corals, the staghorns and the elkhorns, which are some of the most important species to have on the reef.
((NATS))
((Jennifer Pollom
Ocean Conservation Foundation; Rainbow Reef Dive Center))
When temperatures get too high, they expel the algae that lives in their cell wall, and that’s what gives them about 90% of their food intake. The algae photosynthesize, and then the coral uses that for food. When they bleach, they expel all that algae, and that’s why they are white because the algae is what gives it a color. And unfortunately, with the rate at which we saw the bleaching come on, we are looking at a lot of mortality.
((NATS))
((Roxane Boonstra
Coral Restoration Foundation))
Corals, in some way, shape, or form, are older than dinosaurs. They are older than your favorite shark or crocodile. They are actually older than land plants. So in that 500 million years, they survived multiple natural cycles of warming, and multiple natural cycles of cooling. And in that time, they evolved, they adapted, they acclimated to the environments, they shifted north and south around the world, to form one of the most biodiverse ecosystems on this planet that we simply call coral reefs.
((NATS))
((Roxane Boonstra
Coral Restoration Foundation))
Since 1970, Florida’s coral reefs have actually decreased in biodiversity and structure. We actually lost 98 to 99% of our original stony coral habitat. Coral Restoration Foundation was founded in 2007, and we are the largest marine conservation, non-profit restoration organization working in the Florida Keys. And we aim to be a leader in the field globally and help where we can.
((NATS))
((Roxane Boonstra
Coral Restoration Foundation))
Welcome to the Tavernier Nursery. This is the largest ocean-based nursery in the world, and it’s the largest nursery that we have. It is home to 500 trees, which is about 30,000 corals at full capacity. There is nowhere else in the world that you can swim through a living forest of coral like you can in this nursery. There is just one of them. We have multiple nurseries. Together, they hold 50,000 corals, and this our biggest, making up 30,000 of them.
((NATS))
((Roxane Boonstra
Coral Restoration Foundation))
Our founder, Ken Nedimyer, developed the coral tree, which is now recognized as being the best way to grow large quantities of certain species of coral really, really quickly. The coral tree works really well partly because it’s mid-water. And so, since the coral is vertical in water column, as water passes by, the corals can get the maximum amount of oxygen, and nutrients, and just water flow, so that they’re really in an optimal environment. And that’s actually what allows corals to grow much faster on coral trees than they do in their natural reef environment.
Once the coral gets to be about a football size, we’ll harvest the coral from the tree, and then we’ll return it to a nearby reef.
((NATS))
((Bailey Thomasson
Coral Restoration Foundation))
The heat was not a total surprise to us. We knew that because it was an El Niño event, and from predictions from government agencies, we knew that is was probably going to be a pretty hot summer. We partner with land facilities to be able to bring corals out of the ocean, out of those in-situ nurseries into these land-based facilities, so that we could control the water temperatures.
The rescue effort came in two different phases. The first phase that we did was to safeguard the genetic diversity that we have. So we wanted to make sure that we had small samples of every single genotype that we have. Once that was done, we kind of went to stock management. We pulled out all the corals that were looking the best and healthy here, so that we can safeguard that stock, so that we can hopefully take them back after the summer and heat event is over and continue to use them in the restoration process.
((NATS))
((Roxane Boonstra
Coral Restoration Foundation))
Coral bleaching is actually a natural response from the coral to a warming or a sudden change in its environment. The problem is when that change is too extreme, and/or it happens for too long. And so, in this particular case in 2023, we saw warming starting to happen a full month before the average summer temperatures peaked. And so now, the corals had to work with these extreme temperatures that were unprecedented in our history, and that’s why we are seeing bleaching at such a stronger threshold, because the temperatures are so much higher and for so much longer.
((Bailey Thomasson
Coral Restoration Foundation))
The climate changes. It’s time and time again throughout history. We’ve had natural climate swings, but it happens slow enough for corals to be able to adapt and evolutionize to deal with that. But the fact of the matter is that the anthropogenic factors of climate change that are happening right now are causing the climate to change so rapidly and our waters to warm so quickly, that it’s too fast for corals and many of marine mammals and animals that rely on coral reefs, to be able to adapt to that and deal with it.
((NATS))

((CONNECT AMERICA / NATURE KICKER))
SAILING THE CHESAPEAKE BAY
((Title: Nature: Sailing the Chesapeake Bay))
((TRT: 2:00))
((Camera/Editor/Producer: Zdenko Novacki))
((Location: Chesapeake Bay, Maryland))
((The waterway offers an unforgettable experience showcasing the enchanting allure of the region))
((Description: The waterway offers an unforgettable experience showcasing the enchanting allure of the Chesapeake Bay, Maryland.))


IN COMING WEEKS
((VO/NAT/SOT))
In coming weeks…
((Title))
Representation in Literature
((SOT))
((Title))
Rejuvenating Urban Forests
((SOT))


BUMPER
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((SOCIAL MEDIA PKG.)) TAXIDERMY
((TRT: 1:02))
((Original Reporter | Camera: Aaron Fedor))
((Original Editor: Kyle Dubiel))
((Original Producer: Kathleen McLaughlin))
((Social Media Producer/Editor: Lisa Vohra))
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Divya Anantharaman
Gotham Taxidermy))
I got interested in taxidermy because I've always loved nature, I've always loved art, and I've always loved science and taxidermy is a combination of all of that.
((Divya Anantharaman
Gotham Taxidermy))
I can tell a story about an animal and feel something and see something that they might not be able to see if that animal were alive.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Divya Anantharaman
Gotham Taxidermy))
I work mostly with birds and small mammals. This is a domestically raised bird.
This foam body is what will go inside of the skin to make the bird, to fill out the bird, to make it look alive again.
((NATS/MUSIC))
((Divya Anantharaman
Gotham Taxidermy))
I think that people can have a moment of appreciation for that animal's beauty and that will drive them to conserve nature. Because when you care about something, you want to conserve it. And I think that sort of summed up picture is the most wonderful thing about taxidermy.
BUMPER
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SHOW ENDS