The Alaska House of Representatives voted 35-1 Wednesday to approve the letter, which urged officials from the federal and state levels to defend a lawsuit that could close the major King salmon commercial fishery that is located across Southeast Alaska.
“This fishery is now under fire,” said Rep. Rebecca Himschoot, I-Sitka, and co-sponsor of this letter House Joint Resolution 5 which is now sent on to the Senate.
The resolution is gaining broad bipartisan support within the Alaska Legislature, where lawmakers consider the issue to be one that concerns an outsider that is trying to undermine Alaskans’ ways of life.
“This resolution is so much more than just about Southeast Alaska fisheries … it’s about protecting our state resources as well as our right to have our own fishing industry,” said Rep. Sarah Vance, R-Homer, supporting this resolution last Wednesday.
Since the year 2020 The Washington state-owned Wild Fish Conservancy has been fighting the National Marine Fisheries Service in court, contending that the agency violated the law in approving a 2019 document that offers Endangered Species Act coverage for all the salmon fisheries in Southeast Alaska. The document permits fishermen to fish for salmon, which is hunted from endangered species.
The Wild Fish Conservancy wants to save killer whales in or close to Puget Sound; that group of whales, referred to as Southern Resident Killer Whales was classified as endangered in 2005.
Whales eat king Salmon throughout Southeast Alaska waters, and King salmon are highly sought-after by fishermen. Commercial trollers, usually aboard small vessels, utilize hooks and lines to capture King salmon to sell.
McDowell Group, now known as McKinley Research Group, estimates 1450 fishermancomprising crew members and boat owners participate in the Southeast Troll fishing with the potential to generate $85 million in economic benefits.
Around 44% of the business activity stems result of the king salmon catch, McDowell estimated.
In court, attorneys for Wild Fish Conservancy have argued that the volume of king salmon seized by fishermen who are commercially based is so huge that it threatens the existence of whales and stops their population from increasing.
Following an initial decision by an U.S. District Court judge in 2021, which favored that of the Wild Fish Conservancy, a magistrate judge was appointed to conduct further research. The report that resulted was released in December, came to the same conclusion and recommended abrogating the document that offers Endangered Species Act protections for the summer and winter Chinook salmon troll fishing.
It would be the spring season for two months that fishermen claim is not enough to earn money and could lead to the complete closing of the fishery.
The judge of the district court responsible for the case is yet to make an end-of-the-line decision.
State of Alaska as well as various fishery organizations have come out in support against the fisheries agency and, in the latter part of February, Governor. Mike Dunleavy said on statewide talk radio that he’d appeal a ruling that is not in his favor before the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals as well as the U.S. Supreme Court, in the event of a need.
The resolution that was passed through the House this week provides legislative support to the cause, and asks representatives from the State’s Congress delegation continue to work to keep the fishing open, regardless of whether the judge decides to close it.
The cities throughout Southeast Alaska have passed similar resolutions in support. And Sitka is one of them. Sitka even went as far in approving a donation of $25,000 for the Alaska Trollers Association, which is fighting the suit in addition.
In the course of a trip in Wrangell in the last week the senator. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska said that it’s possible closing the fishery could result in an economic catastrophe, but he hopes that it doesn’t happen to this.
“This lawsuit is absurd,” Sullivan said in remarks that were that were first made public in the Wrangell-based station KSTK-FM on Wrangell. “Think about what they’re trying to accomplish to stop this fishing industry. The estimates suggest that it could have an impact on Southeast with a cost of $100m to address orca issues on the island of Puget Sound. The group isn’t asking the fishing industry located in Puget Sound to be shut down. They’re not asking about pollution of Puget Sound. They’re considering shutting down our fishing industry here. This is absurd and an abuse in legislation known as the Endangered Species Act.”
