In response to an advertisement (shown below) run by the Sitka Tribe of Alaska on Friday, February 10th, The Greater Sitka Chamber of Commerce would like to assure our local business owners, the commercial fishing fleet, and the general public that we do not protest the commercial herring fishery. We do support a conservative, science-based approach to the management of our fisheries and trust in the organizations currently in place to make these important decisions.
The advertisement placed by the Sitka Tribe of Alaska referred to a position taken by the Sitka Chamber of Commerce in 1954, when the Sitka Chamber did lodge an official protest against commercial herring fishing for reduction purposes in the Sitka area. Herring reduction was the earliest commercial herring fishery, practiced as early as 1878 in Southeast Alaska, and one of the most destructive. With a lack of regulation, The Sitka Chamber of Commerce was concerned for the future of Sitka's fisheries.
The commercial herring fishery, along with all of Sitka's commercial fisheries, is a strong and vital economic driver for our community. According to the Sitka Economic Development Association, in 2010 we had 563 active resident commercial fishing permit holders in Sitka and 615 commercial fishing vessels home ported here. The resident commercial fishing crew accounted for another 552 of our residents. We had 94 million pounds of seafood purchased from harvesters with the wholesale value of seafood processed in Sitka at $140 million. The raw fish tax, which directory supports our City harbors, brought in $917,911.
The Greater Sitka Chamber of Commerce mission is to promote, support, and facilitate commerce and economic growth in the community and we feel that a well-managed fishery is an important part of our community that we know and love so much.
Advertisement Run by Sitka Tribe of Alaska Without
The Greater Sitka Chamber of Commerce Consent
If you have any questions, please contact the Sitka Chamber office at 747-8604 and I would be happy to talk with you. We will have posters available soon for businesses that would like to post them.
