Juneau Assembly Juneau Assembly has joined Petersburg, Wrangell, Sitka and Ketchikan in backing Southeast Alaska’s king salmon troll fishing industry against an action that could jeopardize its future.
A resolution that was passed by the Assembly Monday night is a rebuke to an action filed by Wild Fish Conservancy, a Washington-based environmental organization. The group believes that it isn’t sure that the government properly dealt with the effects of fishing in the supply of food for Southern Resident killer whales in Puget Sound.
Assembly Member Carole Triem drafted the resolution. In a meeting of the committee earlier in the month, she noted that it was crucial for Juneau to stand up for the trolls.
“It’s significantly smaller and less prominent in Juneau than located in Petersburg, Wrangell, Sitka or Ketchikan which is the size and the impacts of commercial fishing – however, it’s still a important portion of our economy.” she added.
More than 500 jobs for seafood processing and fishing in Juneau which includes those that depend on King salmon fishery. It resulted in $27 million in wage in 2014. .
In December a magistrate judge urged stopping the summer and winter king salmon troll fisheries of Southeast Alaska. The final decision of an federal court in Washington is expected shortly.
Assembly Member Maria Gladziszewski questioned whether the resolution will have any impact considering that the magistrate judge has already issued an advisory.
span style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”It just feels a little off,” she said. “It could be better, naturally but it could have been one year ago, prior to when the judge ruled. It’s not really helping an legal matter by making having a resolution from the Assembly .”
However, Triem added that his organization Alaska Trollers Association expects to challenge the decision. They argue that other causes – such as the pollution of Puget Sound – are more than responsible for the whale population’s declining.
The span style=”font-weight 400 ;”>”The Trollers Association does anticipate a lengthy appeals procedure,” Triem said. “So regarding the timing, although there has been a decision reached but it’s still appropriate to show our support for the appeals process because it’s an ongoing procedure. .”
A number of Southeast communities have made donations towards the Legal Defense Fund of the Alaska Trollers’ Association. The Juneau resolution didn’t include any kind of donation.
Sitka Rep. Rebecca Himschoot has introduced an Resolution on the Alaska House of Representatives urging the federal and state agencies to protect the troll fishing industry.
