The Southeast Alaska Guides Organization (SEAGO) has debuted publicly of organizational planning. It states that the organization will be led by a board of 12, with two representatives from six Southeast areas. Stan Malcom, representative from Petersburg for the interim phase and a local charter boat captain, said that the industry has needed an organization for a long time that represents all of Southeast Alaska and not just local areas.
According to Malcom the charter boat industry has become a major economic contributor to southeast Alaska and it is right time to organize so that it would get better representation on the councils and boards. He added that it would also help to work with the other groups involved in the fisheries.
As per the recent study conducted by the International Pacific Halibut Commission there are fewer mature fish in the region and so there should a catch limit for charter boat owners. Commenting on that Malcom said that although the halibut issue was a concern for SEAGO, their organization was focusing on every aspect of the charter boat industry.
He opined that SEAGO is a long-term organization and it didn’t form to handle any one specific issue. It encompasses all issues concerning the charter boat industry.
