The state Senate Resources Committee weighed the commercial, sport and personal-use fishermen statewide on Senate Bill 284 at a public hearing. Some expressed their views in favour of the bill saying that it would bring a more unbiased approach to the process. They say that it would address the king crab issues as well as issues involving the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council in addition to Alaska’s salmon fishery more transparently.
There are people who like the concept of the bill but questioned the number of personal-use and subsistence seats it would put on the board compared to commercial and sportfishing seats. Monte Roberts, a Soldotna-based sportfishing guide, told that the bill could split the private sport and guided sport fishing into two seats. He also states the commercial guys get locked into two seats and personal-use, who has never really had representation before now, gets majority representation on the board.
Sen. Lyda Green, R-Wasilla, said that the Senate Bill 284 seeks to ensure balance and fairness on the Board of Fisheries by providing a framework for the appointment of members and the board process while focusing its efforts on conserving Alaska’s salmon stocks. Sporfisherman Robert and commercial fisherman Greg Gabriel said that the board would benefit from having a member with a professional background who served in an advisory position.
State Sen. Tom Wagoner, a former commercial salmon fisherman, said the commercial fishermen won and the sportfish lost and the bill is untimely. If it doesn’t die in the Senate it will die in the House, expressed Wagoner. He states that Alaska does not have subsistence fishing where the need matters mostly rather than rules.
