Democratic state Sen. Hollis French said that there is an urgent need to put more jobs in the hands of more Alaskans. That is the biggest opportunity. He said that the biggest hurdle is to prevent our fish from being caught and processed by individuals who don’t have a stake in our state, who don’t have an economic interest in our communities.
Republican Ralph Samuels believes that the biggest opportunity is to manage the fishery resource so it continues to grow. He added that it is not the question to decide the allocation between gear types, between communities and user groups. It is the duty of one of the best-managed fisheries on the planet, and it needs to make sure keeping basing decisions on science and not on politics.
Samuels informed that the biggest hurdles to the industry are the high costs of energy and transportation. Those are the hurdles we have to address through policy in deciding what the role of government should be, opined Samuels. Republican Bill Walker’s vision for the seafood industry is to add more value to the fishery products in every way they can. Walker agreed the biggest obstacle for the seafood industry is the cost of energy.
Republican Gov. Sean Parnell said the No. 1 priority is maintaining a sustainable resource, and he agreed that “value added” provides the greatest opportunity for the industry. Parnell said that if the new administration is going to overlay marine spatial planning, if they are going to come out with a biological opinion on Steller sea lions that is adverse to our interests.
For candidate Ethan Berkowitz, a Democrat, his vision for the fishing industry is one where one have more Alaskans on the decks of their own boats, where they are processing more fish and adding more value in state, and we are more in charge of our fisheries future. He added that Alaska’s fishing communities should be sustainable, and that crews have an opportunity to work their way up in the industry. Fisheries are ultimately about fish and about people.
