City Council Urged to Speak Out at N. Pacific Council Meeting

Jay Barrett/KMXT

Three Kodiak fisheries activists gave the city council an earful at its last meeting, decrying the council’s decision not to send a letter to a U.S. House committee in opposition of enacting catch shares in East Coast fisheries. A similar letter was sent by the Kodiak Island Borough, Aleutians East Borough and the city of King Cove.

Stephen Taufen is with the Groundswell Fisheries Movement:

— (Fish 1 37 sec "My question to you … as friends of the court.")

Rhonda Maker agreed that joining the East Coast lawsuit would send a message from Alaskan fishermen, and she urged the city to send a representative to the next North Pacific Fishery Council meeting in Sitka to speak out on proposed rockfish privatization in the Gulf of Alaska:

— (Fish 2 28 sec "Joining that lawsuit … leaving our city and our state.")

Fisherman Shawn Dochtermann disputed figures showing Kodiak and its economy have improved in the wake of fisheries privatization:

— (Fish 3 40 sec "If you look downtown … a lobbyist comes up here and says.")

Councilman Terry Haines pointed out that after gulf groundfish rationalization was turned back, the city did not collapse:

— (Fish 4 38 sec "And you know when they … you look at these programs.")

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting will be held from June 7 through 15^th in Sitka.

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