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Session: State Capitol, Room 434 Juneau, AK 99801-1182 Phone: (907) 465-2487 Fax: (907) 465-4956 Send E-Mail Interim: 112 Mill Bay Road Kodiak, AK 99615 Phone: (907) 486-8872 Fax: (907) 486-5264 (at LIO) |
Co-Op Rationalization of the Pollack Fishery in the Gulf of Alaska
March 2, 2000
Letter to the Editor
Kodiak Daily Mirror
1419 Selig Street
Kodiak, Alaska 99615
Recently I gave written comments, regarding co-ops in the Gulf of Alaska, to the U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation, Magnuson-Stevens Act hearing, held in Anchorage on January 18, 2000. My comments have created concerns among some draggers and processors in Kodiak.
A lot of people, including myself, were caught flat footed when the American Fisheries Act (AFA), by Senator Stevens, was forced through the U.S. Congress. The full impact is starting to be felt by the fisheries industry in the Gulf of Alaska. Both the trawl fleet and the processors are talking about rationalization of the pollack fishery in the Gulf. Most people refer to this as co-ops. Do we need to form these co-ops for the trawl fleet? I suspect that some rationalization has to take place to protect these Gulf fisheries and guarantee that the fish will be brought to Alaska's shores for processing. Do we need to form co-ops for the processors? This I'm not so sure of yet, but I'm willing to listen to the arguments. The one thing that I am sure of, is we, as Alaskans, need to make sure that the coastal Alaska communities are protected.
When the AFA was passed in the Bering Sea, coastal communities already had the Community Development Quotas (CDQ's) in place. Their coastal communities were already protected. I do not feel that this same type of CDQ program will work in the Gulf of Alaska, but something needs to be in place to protect the coastal communities. What it will be, I don't know at this time, but I'm willing to work towards that end.
Some time ago Kodiak fought hard to stop the Individual Fishing Quotas (IFQ's) from being implemented, but we lost that fight. Not only did we lose that fight, local fisherman lost jobs and income, local processors saw lots of product being taken to other ports and the communities lost the chance to participate in both the halibut and sablefish fisheries. I'm concerned that if the AFA is implemented in the Gulf of Alaska, our communities will lose again. That's my bottom line, protection of coastal Alaska communities.
Sincerely,
Alan Austerman
Representative, District 6