Kodiak’s annual commercial fishing trade show ComFish kicks off in about two weeks – on Thursday, March 16.
Jena Lowmaster is the executive director for the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce, which organizes ComFish each year. She said the Chamber is still finalizing this year’s schedule, which was published online this week.
“We are still ironing out a couple of events, but it is about, you know, 80% of the schedule,” said Lowmaster.
Forums that have been announced so far include a federal legislative update from Alaska’s congressional delegation on Thursday, March 16 at 10 a.m. Senators Murkowski and Sullivan are Zooming in for that presentation. Lowmaster says Rep. Mary Peltola will also be in attendance – although it hasn’t been confirmed yet whether that will be virtually or in-person.
The commissioner of Alaska’s Department of Fish and Game, Doug Vincent-Lang, will speak on Friday, March 17 at 10 a.m. State Sen. Gary Stevens and State Rep. Louise Stutes, both Republicans from Kodiak, will also provide a state legislative update that same day at 1:30 p.m.
Fish taco night – which is typically held the night before ComFish officially begins – and the fishermen’s skills competition will also be back this year. Lowmaster says once they confirm the where and when for both events they’ll be added to the schedule that’s currently posted online.
One big change this year is ComFish’s venue – at Kodiak High School. And Lowmaster says some of this year’s forums, like “Why You Should Have Insurance,” reflect input from the public.
“We did put a survey out earlier in the year to kind of get some of that information from the community,” she said. “So, we tried to really listen to that.”
All of this year’s forums will be in-person and streamed online. Comfish runs through Saturday, March 18.