Kodiak / Aleutians Subsistence Regional Advisory Council meets in Kodiak

Kayla Desroches/KMXT

A group of representatives from Southwest Alaska are weighing in on subsistence matters in the City of Kodiak.

The Kodiak / Aleutians Subsistence Regional Advisory Council is on its second and last day of meeting at the Best Western Kodiak Inn. The council provides recommendations about subsistence in the region and reports to the Federal Subsistence Board Chair.

Council members are looking over some ongoing issues.

That includes the potential hunt of a small, but growing, number of caribou on Unimak Island in the Aleutians. Some hunters would like to harvest those animals, but the Alaska Department of Fish and Game has so far been reluctant due to population concerns.

They’re also talking about Fisheries Resource Monitoring Program, which involves research funded through the federal government.

The council helps decide on projects which may be a priority for the region. Past research titles includes “Changing patterns in the Kodiak area subsistence salmon fishery” and “Bristol Bay sharing, bartering and trade of subsistence resources.”