No more business as usual; we can't afford it
Alaskans are starting to understand the new economic reality that this state is facing. We are all more or less aware of the problem and opinions vary wildly as to the solutions. The bottom line is that business as usual must be a thing of the past. We, as a state, simply can't afford it.
The governor is clearly aware of the new economic paradigm and has said on several occasions that we must "monetize the resources of the state," We in the commercial fishing industry certainly appreciate that message. We are the first link in the food chain; we feed people and provide jobs, and we begin the process of monetizing our abundant and renewable fishery resources.
The seafood industry is the largest private sector employer in the state, creating more than 63,000 direct jobs. Currently, one out of seven Alaska residents are employed in the seafood industry. With a shift in fishery management policies to a business-model approach, where efficiencies are realized, where goals must be met and accountability and maximum sustained yield are factored into decision making, we could employ 20 percent of Alaska residents and double our contribution to the state economy.
Let's talk about food security. Everything we do in the seafood industry is about putting food on a dinner plate; that is our entire purpose and we are good at what we do. If we need to make more of our state seafood resources available to Alaskans, then let's have the discussion about how to utilize our efficiencies and improve the food network in our state so that everyone benefits.
There is no doubt that we can better utilize many of our fishery resources. Last year in Cook Inlet, just in the Kenai and Kasilof rivers, the unharvested surplus sockeye escapement totaled about 45 percent of the actual commercial harvest of those stocks. That's right: After the personal-use fishery, the sport fishery and the subsistence fishery all had an opportunity to harvest, more than a million sockeye still remained that could have been harvested while still meeting the escapement goals. This is a reoccurring problem.
Over the last five years the unharvested surplus sockeye escapements just in the Kenai and Kasilof rivers have cost the commercial seafood industry at least $60 million at the first wholesale value level. If you add in the unharvested surpluses of other species, that number is easily doubled. Because of illogical and irrational management plans, the commercial fishery harvests only about 10 percent of the coho, about 2 percent of the pinks and about 6 percent of the chums in Cook Inlet. Allowing the surplus of all these species to go unharvested is costing the regional and state economies tens of millions of dollars per year.
While Cook Inlet may exemplify the worst in fishery management practices, it is not the only example. All across the state there are numerous instances every year where surplus finfish and shellfish stocks could be harvested and monetized. Responsibly harvesting these surpluses could then create increased employment and generate additional tax revenues to the state, the boroughs and municipalities.
This is the new paradigm. Fishery management must change to meet the new challenge. We simply can't afford not to.
Erik Huebsch is a lifelong Alaska commercial fisherman who lives in Kasilof. His family homesteaded in 1950 north of Palmer at Bonnie Lake, named for his grandmother.
The views expressed here are the writer's own and are not necessarily endorsed by Alaska Dispatch News, which welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email commentary(at)alaskadispatch.com.