December 21, 2021
To the Members of the Board of Fisheries
As the Executive Director of the Greater Ketchikan Chamber of Commerce, I am writing on behalf of the Board of Directors of the Greater Ketchikan Chamber of Commerce in regard to the Southeast Board of Fisheries meeting with support for Alaska’s hatchery program and the hatcheries of the region, Southern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association (SSRAA), Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association (NSRAA), Douglas Island Pink and Chum, Inc. (DIPAC), and Armstrong-Keta Inc (AKI). We urge you to oppose Proposals 101 & 103 due to the damage they would inflict on salmon fisheries across the Southeast region and the decreased hatchery production that would result if these proposals were implemented. Our organization represents more than 280 businesses that rely on the economic health of Ketchikan and the greater Southeast region. Not surprisingly, robust fish returns are vital to the economic wellbeing of so many businesses across our region. Should Proposals 101 & 103 be approved, the economic impact would be severe to many local businesses and could ripple through the Ketchikan economy in disastrous ways.
Alaska created the Fisheries Rehabilitation Enhancement Division (FRED) within the Department of Fish and Game in 1971. Later, in an effort to privatize salmon enhancement, the private nonprofit Hatchery Act of 1974 was created allowing for the application of hatchery permits by Alaskans. The Southeast Alaska hatcheries were founded as private nonprofit entities to benefit the Southeast region, its fisheries, and user groups.
The Alaska hatchery program is designed to increase salmon abundance and enhance fisheries while protecting wild stocks. Fisheries enhancement projects are not permitted by the Department of Fish & Game if they are anticipated to have a significant negative effect on natural production. Alaska’s fisheries enhancement program is designed to supplement natural production, not replace, or displace it. The Alaska salmon hatchery program, in place for over 40 years, is one of the most successful public-private partnership models in Alaska’s history. The SSRAA, NSRAA, DIPAC, and AKI hatcheries are important infrastructure in the region and benefit the communities, economy, and harvesters.
SSRAA, NSRAA, DIPAC, and AKI provide measurable economic impacts to the region by providing additional salmon for harvest by all user groups, reducing harvest pressure on returning wild runs in years of low abundance. These significant positive impacts are applied to the economies of coastal communities through the direct benefit of hatchery operations, increased landings, and raw fish taxes of salmon at local ports.
Each year, Southeast harvests of hatchery salmon generate approximately $237 million in total output. Additionally, Southeast hatcheries support 2,000 jobs and provide $90 million in labor income. SSRAA, NSRAA, DIPAC, and AKI together provide significant boosts to salmon fishing opportunity for all user groups throughout the region, especially during years of lower wild run returns. This opportunity is important to Juneau, Sitka, Ketchikan, Wrangell, Kake, Angoon, Haines, Petersburg, and others. Any reduction in opportunity would impact the stakeholders, communities, and user groups significantly, but would be especially hard-hitting during years of low returns.
If approved, Proposals 101 & 103 would impact how Southeast hatchery management plans and governing statutes are interpreted and implemented. These proposals would reduce or limit hatchery production through direct action by the Alaska Board of Fisheries, directly affecting all hatchery programs in Alaska and having immediate impacts on sport, personal use, subsistence and commercial harvests of hatchery fish statewide.
Thank you for your serious consideration of this important matter.
Please oppose Proposals 101 & 103 at the upcoming Board of Fisheries meeting in Ketchikan.
We look forward to your decision supporting our vital industry,
On behalf of the Board of Directors:
Ben Edwards
President
Greater Ketchikan Chamber of Commerce
Michelle O’Brien
Executive Director
Greater Ketchikan Chamber of Commerce