NOAA Fisheries Experts Travel to Explain New Fishery Program

NOAA Fisheries experts have been visiting small coastal Alaskan communities, explaining a new federal program that authorizes 42 Gulf of Alaska fishing communities to form non-profit corporations to purchase, hold, and use halibut and sablefish fishing quota.

"When the IFQ program for halibut and sablefish was implemented in 1995, many quota holders in Alaska's small coastal communities received quota, but have since sold it," said Dr. James Balsiger, NOAA Fisheries' Regional Administrator for Alaska. "Over time, the amount of quota held in these communities has declined. By providing for collective quota holding, this program is designed to help communities to return quota to the communities and to improve local economies."

"We have have been traveling to answer questions about the program from local people in their communities," said Phil Smith, NOAA Fisheries Program Administrator for the Restricted Access Management Program in Alaska. "Only about half of the 42 eligible communities have received a formal visit so far. We expect to do more traveling over the summer and fall, as time permits, and as interest is shown."

Smith, together with representatives of the State Department of Community and Economic Development, have visited Old Harbor, Larson Bay, Ouzinkie, Port Lions, Chignik Lagoon, Chignik Bay, Sand Point, King Cove, Seldovia, Chenega, and Port Graham in southcentral Alaska and Hoonah, Elfin Cove, and Prince of Wales Island communities in southeast Alaska. Staff from the North Pacific Fishery Management Council and the Gulf of Alaska Coastal Community Coalition Current have joined in some of the visits.

"The state has shown a lot of interest," said Balsiger. "We are pleased with the degree of state and federal cooperation in the implementation of the program." He explained that Governor Murkowski has indicated that assisting communities is a priority and recently signed legislation that allows loans from the State of Alaska to community quota entities to help finance quota share purchase through this new program.