It is found that seven of the 35 trawlers home-ported at Kodiak are tied up at the peak of the flatfish season. The reason is simple the soaring fuel prices at $4.65 a gallon for diesel, they simply can’t afford to go fishing. Jeff Scott, skipper of the vessel Dusk, told that the cost of fuel along with other expenses just reached the breaking point and that put the vessel docked.
Al Burch, Dusk owner and director of the Alaska Draggers Association, told that for our last delivery we grossed $12,546. The fuel cost was $7,000. Over 60 percent for fuel. According to Scott the fish prices remained constant for two years while the diesel costs have risen by more than 40 percent. According to another fishermen Davis it is useless to expand the fishing business. As a smalltime salmon fisherman Davis want to expand into other fishing opportunities but due to swelling fuel prices he retreat his steps.
For Cordova resident Rick Ballas fuel prices are the biggest concern. He said that if fish prices stay the same it’s easy to calculate the additional impact rising fuel costs will have. He added that fishermen should receive fuel breaks from the federal government similar to other food producers. He also said that if nothing is done to reduce fuel prices for commercial operators then the American people will feel the impacts most at the end.
