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Economic Development and Advocacy for Southwest Alaska
| June 2010 |
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Greetings!
Hello and welcome to this latest edition of e-Tidings, SWAMC's monthly newsletter for friends of the region. There are a few new things to talk about this month, so we won't waste much time with the lede. Make sure to note some of the relevant regional events and dates to remember at the end of this newsletter. Thanks for reading.
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News With the STIP and Ferry Schedules
ADOT&PF is closing public review for the 2012-2015 STIP criteria this month and the final version will be posted June 21. From there, the 'Call for Needs List Nominations' runs from July 6 - September 13, 2010. The top picks (those that scored well) are forwarded on to Program
Development in the winter. You can see the full STIP schedule here. And now that we're back to twice-monthly ferry runs, check out the new Alaska Marine Highway System schedule here.
Lastly, if your local Harbormaster is looking for dollars for the latest small boat harbor project, direct them to the State's Municipal Harbor Facility Grant program. DOT is accepting applications for the FY12 appropriation cycle, and they are due by July 15, 2010.
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Groups Seeking Formation of Alaska Food Policy Council
 SWAMC recently attended a two-day meeting where groups discussed the possibility of forming the state's first Food Policy Council (FPC). A council consists of a variety of representatives and stakeholders from many sectors of the food system (production, consumption, processing, distribution, waste recycling, etc.) that look to facilitate discussion and strategy development among these various interests, while creating an arena for studying the food system as a whole. Why would Southwest Alaska be involved? A number of reasons spring to mind, and include: getting more of our seafood onto Alaskans' plates through better logistics and marketing, minimizing unnecessary regulatory barriers, setting up community greenhouses, and protecting subsistence rights, among others. For more information on FPCs just contact our office.
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State Responds to NOAA Regarding New Aquaculture Policy
The National Oceanic & Atmospheric Administration
(NOAA) held a 'listening session' in Anchorage on May 21 to discuss a
proposed national aquaculture policy in federal waters. Alaskan
officials had plenty of comments for the NOAA agency, including concerns
about maintaining protection of wild stocks and avoiding environmental
damage, while warning of potential economic harm to fishery-dependent
communities should offshore aquaculture be authorized on a broad scale. Read
the
State's comments here.
Alaska has worked hard to maintain and add value to its wild-caught
seafood market, and the introduction of aquaculture for certain species
could potentially result in lost value for finfish and other fish products. Nevertheless, aquaculture may hold several advantages over wild fisheries with respect to the economies of value-adding, according to latest findings from the International Congress on Seafood Technology, and this is something that everyone within Alaska's seafood industry is mindful of. There has even been talk of the potential for aquaculture in the Aleutians for species that do not compete with commercial fisheries, and SWAMC will continue to investigate these opportunities.
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AEA's New Efficiency & Conservation Website Going Live This Month
Confused about where to find helpful information about
energy efficiency and conservation in Alaska? Want to know when there will be
an energy efficiency event or training opportunity in your area? Need how-to
guides for do-it-yourself energy efficiency upgrades? Well, look no further than akenergyefficiency.org.
With a 'soft launch' on June 17th, the website promises to
be a one-stop shop for all your energy efficiency questions and needs. It is
the result of collaboration between energy organizations across the state,
including SWAMC, to promote the effective spread of energy efficiency and
conservation knowledge and practices throughout Alaska. If you have questions or would like more
information on this effort contact SWAMC's Energy Coordinator at vista@swamc.org.
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Kodiak Chamber of Commerce Seeking New Executive Director
Deb King's last day with the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce was May 31, and they are currently seeking a new Executive Director. Deb is a friend (and previously a long-time Board member) of SWAMC, and we wish her well on the East Coast, where she'll be even closer to her Canadian homeland!
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Speaking of job openings, the Southwest Alaska Vocational & Education Center (SAVEC) is also hiring for a new Executive Director, based in King Salmon.
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Southwest Alaska Monthly Indicator
The Southwest commercial herring harvest opens throughout the
region in the spring, on or about April 15th. Fishermen are
primarily paid based on the percentage of roe, although there are bait
fisheries as well. The fleet generally begins at Kodiak where warmer weather
dictates that the fish reach maturity first, a preliminary measure that must be met in
order to attain acceptable roe percentages.
The data provided is the most current based on fish tickets;
however, is not final until time permits greater analysis from the Department
of Fish and Game. Kodiak is primarily a
seine fleet, where most of the fish are caught in a few days, and
the rest are caught in small numbers over a longer period of time; it is not unheard of for fishermen to make deliveries into June. The
effort in Kodiak varies due to the pockets of herring found on Kodiak.
The Togiak fishery is split 71% for seine and 29% for gillnet. The vast biomass and limited processing
capacity limit what is delivered in Togiak, where the seine fleet catches are
fairly static, except for one early opener. The seine
effort is fairly well distributed around the mean. The gillnet effort builds to
the peak of the season, then effort and harvest tapers off; many more
deliveries are made over a relatively longer period of time.
History shows that herring value swings wildly, although
supply remains fairly steady. As early as 1996the price per ton was $2000, and by the early 2000's the prices had fallen to just over $100 per ton
for Togiak herring. Kodiak prices have rebounded in recent years, while Togiak
has been hovering near $150 per ton.
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Membership Renewals Coming Your Way!
Last but not least, we wanted to give our loyal readers notice that membership forms will be headed your way shortly. SWAMC is only as strong as its supporters, so we truly appreciate each and every resource you folks deliver. Thanks, and thanks again!
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Some of our Partners
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Have a small business question? If so, visit
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Upcoming Events & Dates to Remember
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As always...
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Thanks for your support of SWAMC. Please don't hesitate to share your thoughts, ideas, concerns and events. For previous newsletters, click the link below.
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