ata
2010-10-08 22:08:55
Hope everyone had a good season and is getting into the rythmn of life in the home port, readying the gear for the winter fishery, or whatever gets your attention this time of year.
Just to show a bit of what Alaska Trollers Association (ATA) and United Fishermen of Alaska (UFA) are working on these days, thought I'd share the following article by Lainie Welch for the Alaska Journal of Commerce, which documents a UFA event held last week in Anchorage. Presentations were made to an audience of state community, economic, and policy leaders on the value of Alaska seafood to our state's communities. My 20 minutes were used to provide the overview of Southeast fisheries and ports.
Web posted Friday, October 8, 2010
UFA pushes industry impact on Alaska
By Laine Welch
For the Journal
Who knew that Anchorage and the Mat-Su Valley are home to the most commercial fishermen — 1,744 — in all Alaska?
Or that if you put Bristol Bay's sockeye salmon catch nose to tail, it would reach 14,000 miles, from Alaska to Australia and back!
Everyone went away from the United Fishermen of Alaska's "Fisheries Day" Sept. 28 with new understandings and appreciation for the seafood industry and its importance to the state economy.
UFA comprises 37 diverse member groups from skiffs to floating processors, making it the largest fisheries trade organization in the nation. Fisheries Day was the brainchild of new president Arni Thomson, and targeted especially to Anchorage and other railbelt policy makers. To them, he says, seafood is an invisible industry.
"People just don't get it. The fishing industry puts more people to work than oil and gas, mining, timber and tourism combined. And it is second only to Big Oil in revenues to state coffers," Thomson said.
The invitation-only Fisheries Day attracted a good mix of about 60 bureaucrats, businesses, politicos and industry insiders to the Anchorage Clarion. The day began with a short tribute and moment of silence to honor Ted Stevens.
Then each person stood and introduced himself or herself. A sampler of those in attendance: mayors of Seward and Valdez, Anchorage Mayor Dan Sullivan didn't show but sent an aide, managers of the Kenai and Lake and Peninsula boroughs, Rep. Bill Stoltze, aides for Rep. Cherisse Miller and Rep. Les Gara, Rep. Alan Austerman, a member of the Japanese consulate, the Resource Development Council, Economic Development Corp., fisheries legend Clem Tillion, Board of Fisheries members, CDQ groups, Alaska State Chamber of Commerce, Samson Tug and Barge, Totem Ocean Trailer Express, and state Fish and Game Commissioner Denby Lloyd.
The presentations began with an overview of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, the state's lone fish marketing arm.
"Our sole purpose is to increase the value of Alaska seafood," said ASMI spokesman Naresh Shrestha. "We sell a brand. And right now the Alaska Brand is No. 2 in the U.S., after Oreo Cookies."
Following came short presentations by UFA members who described the fisheries and communities of their regions.
"Diversification is the key to a good fishing business, and we have that in Southeast with so many different fisheries and gear types," said Dale Kelley, director of Alaska Trollers Association, who gave an overview of the Pan Handle. Southeast Alaska makes up nearly 20 percent of the state's total ex-vessel (dockside) value, Kelley said.
"This will be the most valuable year ever for Prince William Sound," said Rochelle van den Broek, director of the 300-member Cordova District Fishermen United. "It's more than $100 million, double last year," referring to the 2010 salmon season.
Van den Broek said 30 percent of Alaska's total salmon catch this year will come from Prince William Sound, "and 20 million pounds is shipped out through Anchorage."
Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association director Gary Fandrei explained how fishermen pay a 2 percent tax to support primarily sockeye stocking projects for the region. The group also works on "flow controls" that prevent fish from getting upstream to spawn.
Greg Kessler of Tacoma-based Totem Ocean Trailer Express Inc., said fish is one of their biggest southbound components on its two freight ships calling on Anchorage.
"Most of our items are for northbound markets — cars, retail goods. We have little southbound cargo – only household items and return dunnage, like pallets. Fish gives TOTE a stream of revenue we wouldn't otherwise have," Kessler said.
"Freight costs are reduced 10 cents per pound because of our seafood exports," added Glenn Reed, head of Pacific Seafood Processors Association. The volumes and frequencies of seafood shipments by air also reduce costs, he added.
"We are in the health food business and we are globally recognized as being the last well managed, wild capture fishery," Reed said. "What we look to you policymakers for is support, especially for research funding. Good science is why our fisheries are so successful and so sustainable.
Bob Waldrop, director of the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association, refers to each of the 1,875 permit holders in the Bay as "small business owners." He said 962 of the Bristol Bay permit holders and crew live in Anchorage, and earned $9.3 million in 2009.
"That is likely to be up to $12 million this year," Waldrop said.
Edward Poulsen of Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers gave an overview of the crab fisheries five years into the catch share plan. The crab fishery is one of the few that provides complete labor data to state and federal number crunchers. He said 15 percent of the crab quota is now owned by more than 80 new entries into the fisheries.
Skip Winfree of 10th & M Seafoods in Anchorage talked about "how much fun it has been" to raise his family in the industry. Tenth & M started as a mink farm in 1938 and is now one of Alaska's largest shippers of perishable goods. Winfree said the biggest retail boosters for his business have been "increased tourism, FedEx and the Internet."
A lot of that seafood comes from Kodiak, home to 27 different fisheries that operate year round, pointed out Bruce Schactler, fisherman and ASMI international marketing guru.
"Kodiak has a resident seafood processing workforce, and groundfish keeps them working all year. Then there are all the transportation and support services — the multiplier really adds up fast when you're on an island," Schactler said. "The industry brings over $200 million into Anchorage every year. It's a big deal. We're not tourists."
Of Alaska's 27 census areas, the Anchorage Municipality and the Mat–Su Borough are among the most active in commercial fishing, according to Glenn Haight, a Sea Grant Fisheries Business Specialist. Salmon is the most widely held fisheries species for residents; by far, most fish in Bristol Bay.
As people drifted out after Fisheries Day every one of them — even the industry veterans — could be heard commenting on the new things they had learned about Alaska's seafood industry.
"We hit a home run," said UFA's Thomson.
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And now for the shameless plea for industry dues...
As always, I hope you'll consider membership in ATA (crew $75 and up / handtroll $200 and up / powertroll $300 and up / Retired $50 - all categories 1/2 price for first year members!), as well as your state (United Fishermen of Alaska $150) and national (Commercial Fishermen of America $50) organizations. Key to our industry's survival is having adequate resources and personnel to not only to work on issues, but also to highlight the value of commercial fishing to the state and nation. Donations for general purposes or the legal or publicity funds always welcome. Industry dues and donations are almost entirely tax deductible. For your convenience, I am always happy to pass on dues payments to the other groups if they are sent with your ATA payments.
Cheers!
Dale
ATA
130 Seward #205
Juneau, AK 99801