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“I’m deeply disappointed by the Fish Board’s decision to vary from their traditional process in determining their location for their meetings," said Rep. Dan Ortiz (I- Ketchikan). "Based on the board members’ comments before their vote, it seems like their primary concerns with meeting in Ketchikan were based on lack of convenience with their own personal schedules rather than prioritizing the Board’s tradition of being accessible to the Alaskans who are most impacted by their decisions. I would certainly like to thank all the individual residents and entities of Ketchikan who bent over backwards to try and accommodate the needs of the Board in order to encourage them to decide to return their meetings back to the Southeast. While that effort ultimately did not succeed, folks in Ketchikan could not have done more.”
“Local input from key stakeholders is critical to the Board of Fisheries being able to make reasoned and well-thought out decisions," said Speaker Louise Stutes (R- Kodiak, Yakutat). "I'm frustrated that this wasn't observed in this case and hope it doesn't become a pattern."
“I understand there are many factors influencing the location of a Board of Fisheries meeting. I will always advocate for the Board to have their meetings in the region where the impacts of their decisions will be most heavily felt,” said Rep. Andi Story (D- Juneau).
“The Board of Fisheries decision to have a meeting about Southeast issues in Anchorage is an affront to Southeast residents and stakeholders," added Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins (D-Sitka).
The Alaska Board of Fisheries announced last Monday that it would meet Thursday (January 27) to reconsider the location for its Southeast and Yakutat Finfish and Shellfish meeting.
The meeting originally was to be held from January 4-15, 2022, in Ketchikan; however, due to the large COVID-19 surge, the meeting was postponed. Given a number of constraints, including facility availability, the board rescheduled the meeting to March 10-22, 2022, in Anchorage.
After the meeting was rescheduled, through the work of Representative Dan Ortiz and managers of the Ted Ferry Civic Center in Ketchikan, the facility was again made available for this board meeting. Based on facility availability and board member schedules, a meeting could occur in Ketchikan from March 10-20, 2022.
The board met on January 27th to vote on reconsidering the meeting location. However, at that meeting the Alaska Board of Fisheries upheld their decision to keep the Southeast and Yakutat Finfish and Shellfish meeting in Anchorage, instead of the original location in Ketchikan leaving residents of Southeast communities reliant on traveling to Anchorage.
Prior to the location reconsideration meeting, Rep. Dan Ortiz (I- Ketchikan) said, “It means a great deal to Ketchikan to be able to host the Board of Fisheries. I know that after the decision to move the Southeast and Yakutat meeting to Anchorage, a lot of people put in a lot of hard work to make sure that we would be able to accommodate them, and I appreciate the board’s willingness to reconsider."
Ortiz said, "The Board of Fisheries is such an important public process, and it’s critical that these meetings be as accessible as possible to those who would be the most directly affected by these decisions.”
Also prior to the Jan. 27th board meeting, Alaska House Speaker Louise Stutes (R- Kodiak, Yakutat) said, “The guiding principles behind the Board of Fisheries’ advisory committee and the public testimony structure are local input and providing impacted stakeholders with maximum access to the board.
Stutes said, "Moving this meeting out of Ketchikan would undermine the public process and impact the board’s ability to make sound decisions. I sincerely hope they make the correct decision.”
Rep. Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins (D- Sitka) said he hoped that common sense would prevail at the board meeting on the 27th. “A Southeast Alaska Board of Fisheries meeting should be held in… Southeast Alaska. This is not a bold assertion; it is common sense. I hope common sense prevails.”
The legislators thanked the many people in Ketchikan who came together on such short notice to secure a venue in Ketchikan for this meeting.
At the board meeting, following introductions and brief ethics disclosures, the Board of Fisheries heard from the chair and Alaska Department of Fish and Game on the process and steps leading up to and following the postponement of the Southeast and Yakutat Finfish and Shellfish meeting that was to occur January 4-15, 2022 in Ketchikan. The meeting was rescheduled to March 10-22, 2022 in Anchorage. The board then reconvened to discuss the meeting location decision after efforts were made in Ketchikan to free up necessary meeting space to hold the meeting.
After the review and a brief discussion, the Board of Fisheries failed a motion to move the meeting back to Ketchikan. Listen to the meeting.
The current meeting schedule stands and is: Southeast and Yakutat Finfish & Shellfish, March 10-22, 2022 - Click here for the March 10-22 meeting information.
Comment deadline: February 23, 2022
Comment deadlines are generally two weeks prior to each meeting.
To submit written comments online click here.
On the Web:
Alaska Board of Fisheries
www.boardoffisheries.adfg.alaska.gov
Source of News:
Alaska House Coalition
www.akleg.govAlaska Board of Fisheries
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