Fish Factor: Budget cuts, new fishery taxes & fishing opportunities By LAINE WELCH - A single Chinook salmon is worth more than a barrel of oil.

The winter kings being caught by Southeast Alaska trollers are averaging 10 pounds each with a dock price of $7.34 a pound, according to state fish tickets. That adds up to $73.40 per fish, compared to less than $25 per barrel of oil.

Those who depend on fishing for their livelihoods want to make sure that budget cuts combined with any new fishery taxes, don’t cut core services that result in missed fishing opportunities.

“Not all cuts are equal, and if there are cuts that interfere with the science needed for responsible and sustainable fish harvesting, many times in the absence of information, it will throttle down fisheries and reduce opportunity,” said Mark Vinsel, Executive Administrator for United Fishermen of Alaska. UFA is the nation’s largest commercial fishing trade organization, with 35 member groups.

“When we are able to count fish and make sure enough get up stream, then people can harvest them, get them to market and bring the revenue back to their communities and to the state general fund through taxes. So we have to be careful that we don’t put a tax on something or increase taxes while the overall opportunity goes down. That can be a net decrease,” Vinsel added.

“We are willing to listen to any proposal,” said Jerry McCune. “If there is going to be raises in the taxes we would like to see it across the board to be fair for everybody.”
Governor Walker has proposed a one percent surtax on both the Fisheries Business Tax and the Fisheries Landing Tax, which would raise an estimated $20 million.

A resolution provided to each legislator states: “Budget cuts, though equal in value, are not equal in impact to industry or represent the same overall loss to the State of Alaska in terms of lost revenue and benefit. Emphasis should be given to find efficiencies without reducing economic opportunities for industry.”

A second UFA resolution urges that the state “should not further reduce the Alaska Department of Fish & Game's budget in a manner that negatively impacts the Department's delivery of core/essential services.”

The ADF&G now has an operating budget of $200 million; the Commercial Fisheries Division gets the largest chunk at $73.3 million.

Another UFA resolution supports the existing Division of Investments’ Commercial Fisheries Revolving Loan Funds and continuation of other financing programs that “bring benefits to Alaskans and the economy of the State of Alaska in perpetuity.”

UFA also sent a letter to Governor Walker saying it “supports the recommendation of the legislative audit that CFEC remain as an independent agency, separate and distinct from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.”

McCune said UFA is working closely with Rep. Kreiss-Tomkins (Sitka) regarding a bill he plans to introduce that would create permit banks to help reverse the trend of salmon permits migrating out of the state. The bank would buy nonresident permits and lease them to young fishermen who otherwise could not afford them. A permit bank would not cost the state any money, according to Kreiss-Tomkins, because it would fall to local communities to raise the money.

“I think it’s a noble idea, but we have some fears,” McCune said. “There are concerns with an entity holding a permit and giving loans and being able to take them back, and there are IRS and constitutional considerations. We will continue to work with the bill sponsor to make sure our concerns are considered and that we are within legal rights of the Limited Entry Act.”

Regarding the bill that would allow “fisheries enhancement permits” for groups and individuals (HB 220), McCune said UFA has been assured by ADF&G that “safeguards are in place.”

“You can’t move one stock to another area, and you must go through all the things that a normal hatchery operator or anyone who wants to do fishery enhancements is required to do,” McCune said. “You can’t just willy-nilly run out and start a hatchery and not have any consideration for wild stocks where it’s going to located and things like that. I don’t think it will move until some things are fleshed out.”

Other fish issues and bills will surface as the Alaska legislature gets into full swing.

“It’s a big agonizing for everyone waiting to see what will happen,” McCune said. “But you’ve got to work the process. It’s not going to be up to just UFA, but different groups and individuals are going to have to weigh in on different issues. My message to all the fishermen in the state is pay attention to what’s going on and make sure you have your say." - More...
Tuesday AM - January 26, 2016

Alaska: Public Integrity Unit Proposed - Alaska Attorney General Craig W. Richards announced Friday that the Alaska Department of Law proposes to establish a Public Integrity Unit within the Office of Special Prosecutions, as mentioned in Governor Bill Walker’s State of the State address. The unit would work to improve public trust in government and eliminate fraud, waste, and corruption.

“Ensuring the public’s trust of those in public service is one of the cornerstones of this administration,” said Attorney General Richards. “The public needs to have confidence in its government, and to that end, this office would seek to bring a new level of accountability through rigorous review and oversight.”

The unit would focus on three specific areas - use of force by law enforcement, corruption and fraud perpetrated upon the State, and prisoner deaths in correctional facilities. By consolidating these matters into one unit within the Office of Special Prosecutions, the department says the matters can be given the attention they deserve by experts in the area while relieving some of the burden from other attorneys and staff.

Officer involved shootings and other claims of unlawful force by an officer receive intense scrutiny from the general public and can erode the community’s trust in law enforcement. It is important that government conducts a thorough investigation into the officer’s conduct in these cases to determine whether the officer followed the law. Law enforcement officers risk their lives on a daily basis to keep our communities safe, and this unit will help to ensure the integrity of our hardworking men and women in uniform is protected by public confidence that there will be a fair and thorough review of an officer’s use of force.

The unit will also investigate prisoner deaths occurring in Alaska’s correctional facilities. The trust in the State’s correctional system has been shaken over the past year due to some high profile inmate deaths, and the extra layer of review provided by the unit would serve to reassure the public that these situations are handled properly. - More...
Tuesday AM - January 26, 2016