January 28, 2006
Saturday

For 2006 the Alaska Department of Fish and Game has raised the cost of a resident fishing license by 40% and they doubled the price of a fishing license for non resident sportsmen. The reason for this dramatic rate increase is to build two new (state of the art) fish hatcheries, one in Anchorage and one in Fairbanks.

Back in the 1980's the state built a hatchery on Prince of Wales Island. The hatchery is located on the Klawock River built on Indian corporate land. This hatchery was very effective in enhancing the fisheries of Southeast Alaska. In the early 1990's state funding ran out and the state abandoned the hatchery. The Indian corporation tried to take over but failed resulting in the loss of a years production. To save the hatchery a coalition of local cities, charter operators, commercial fishermen, sportsmen and residents came together to form POWHA (Prince of Wales Hatchery Association), a non profit organization. Through donations, sale of terminal fish, and loans, the hatchery has survived without funding from the state. The hatcheries finances are tenuous and the future is not certain.

Now, here comes ADF&G with big plans to have everybody in the state chip in to build hatcheries for Anchorage and Fairbanks. This irresponsible action should not be tolerated by the people of Southeast Alaska.

When an irresponsible parent has children and abandons them, the state pursues them and forces them to support their children. Governor Murkowski should be made to force ADF&G to support it's abandoned hatcheries before building new ones. Or, why aren't the people of Fairbanks and Anchorage supporting their own hatcheries like we do?

Wayne Sanger
Craig, AK - USA

About: Wayne Sanger of Wave Dance Custom Charters, is a resident of Craig, Alaska.

 

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