Trawlers Plan Community Celebration for June NPFMC Meeting

Jay Barrett/KMXT

Kodiak’s trawl fishing sector, seeking a more generous deal on bycatch from the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, plans a parade and a festival on Oscar’s Dock during the group’s June meeting here.

Trawl skipper Paddy O’Donnell asked the Kodiak City Council Thursday night to look favorably on the festival request.

“Alaska Whitefish Trawlers Association in Association in conjunction with the Groundfish Data Bank has put in a request for a permit to hold a groundfish festival on June 11^th, 2016. The request is the use for Oscar’s Dock and also to close Shelikof Street to hold a festival parade,” O’Donnell said. “This would take place when the NPFMC is in Kodiak. It’s open to the public to promote and celebrate groundfish fisheries in Kodiak. This is looked upon as a positive means of promoting our industry here in Kodiak and shed some light I guess with the Council family being in town here as to how important groundfish fisheries are to the economy of Kodiak here.”

City Councilman John Whiddon, himself a former cannery boss, endorsed the idea.

“I just wanted to acknowledge the Whitefish Trawlers and the trawl industry for putting this on. It’s a unique festival, and I should note, fundraiser. For the public not aware of this, it’s a fundraiser. Any funds we raise will be going to nonprofits, for seafood related nonprofits. So it should just be a good time, it’s also a good opportunity to raise funds for the nonprofit as well,” Whiddon said. “So I would just acknowledge and applaud them for their efforts during the council meeting.”

The request passed unanimously. Also Thursday, the council also granted permission for the Chamber of Commerce to use public property for Crab Fest, the Garden Club for its annual plant sale, and to Hope Community Resources for its Walk and Roll Community Walk fundraiser.