Legislature approves commercial fishing task force

The Alaska Legislature has approved creating a task force to make policy recommendations to help the beleaguered commercial fishing industry.

The Senate unanimously approved the resolution on Sunday, May 12, to establish the task force. There was only one no vote in the House, from Wasilla Rep. David Eastman.

The task force is modeled off another legislative task force created more than 20 years ago to help the salmon industry. At the time, salmon fishermen were struggling with the pain of low prices and competition with farmed salmon.

Alaska’s commercial fishing sector has recently struggled with low prices, a global market swamped with low-cost Russian seafood, and the closure of several seafood processing plants. Salmon returns have crashed in critical fisheries across Alaska.

The United Fishermen of Alaska estimates that the state’s economy lost over $2 billion in 2023 as a result of the commercial fishing sector’s struggles.

“The depth of the crisis truly is unprecedented,” said Juneau Sen. Jesse Kiehl on the Senate floor in April.

The new joint industry task force would be comprised of eight members appointed by the Senate president and House speaker.

The task force is set to make policy recommendations on how the state could help the commercial fishing sector and communities across Alaska. Those recommendations are due in January, at the start of the next legislative session.

The commercial fishing industry employs over 48,000 Alaska workers and is the largest private employer in the state. Fishing is the largest source of revenue for 11 Alaska communities.

“We want our fisheries healthy. We want our processors strong and our fishermen solvent. We want a viable economy along our coast,” said Sitka Sen. Bert Stedman in support of the task force in April.

 

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