Fish Factor: Busy year for Alaska brokersBy LAINE WELCH - Last year was one of the busiest years ever for Alaska brokers who help fishermen buy, sell and trade fishing permits and quota shares.

“I was really happy to see such a good mix of permits we were selling – it wasn’t just one thing,” said Olivia Olsen of Alaskan Quota and Permits in Petersburg. “We had a lot of Dungeness crab permits, charter halibut permits, salmon and shrimp permits, sea cucumbers, and then whatever IFQs we could find.”

Salmon permit sales peak from March through May, and early indicators point to lower salmon prices this year in a plentiful market. A strong US dollar against the Yen, Euro and other currencies also makes it more expensive for foreign customers to buy Alaska salmon. At the same time, record numbers of cheaper, farmed salmon continue to flood into the US from Norway and Chile.

Combined, those factors are having a downward press on permit prices – notably, at Alaska’s bellwether sockeye fishery at Bristol Bay.

Drift permits last fall were fetching a record $175,000; now they’ve dipped to $164,000.

“Permit prices have softened in the Bay and actually kind of across the board for any salmon permits,” said Doug Bowen with Alaska Boats and Permits in Homer, adding that there “is concern about the price in the Bay this year.”

“A lot of sockeye is left in the market from the big run in the Bay last year, plus from the Fraser River. And another big sockeye run is forecasted for Bristol Bay this summer. So there are some negative price rumors out there about the exvessel (dock) price in the Bay dipping below a dollar a pound.”

Even if a permit buyer is interested, both brokers said it could be tough going for anyone trying to break into the fishery.

“Some of these guys buying in are having quite a bit of difficulty just lining up a market and finding anyone who will take them on, because the processors at Bristol Bay are bracing for another big year and not really looking to expand their fleets,” Bowen explained.

Elsewhere - Prince William Sound seine permits have dropped below $200,000 for the first time in several years. Cook Inlet drifts are at $65,000, down from $90,000 two years ago. Kodiak seine permit interest is flat at around $50,000.

Still, both brokers said the mood on the Alaska waterfront is very upbeat.

“I could feel it in the fall with how busy we were,” Olsen said. “People are looking forward to a good year.”

Bowne added: “We do see a lot of optimism among the fleets,” said Bowen, “and people are building new boats. That is definitely the biggest vote of confidence that you can make.” - More...
Monday PM - February 23, 2015

Alaska: UA Board of Regents approves tuition increase throughout state By CARLA BEAM - The University of Alaska Board of Regents on Friday approved a 5 percent increase on tuition at campuses throughout the state.

The 8-2 vote came near the end of the regents’ two-day meeting in Anchorage. The change translates to an $8 to $11 per credit hour increase for an in-state undergraduate student.

In September, the board voted against a tuition increase. That was before oil prices dropped and the state’s fiscal scenario changed. Today, the university is anticipating a shortfall of at least $40 million, which includes cost increases for things like utilities, fixed costs, and salary and benefits, as well as an expected decrease in state funding.

“Our fiscal picture was quite different back in September,” said board chair Jo Heckman. “Since then our fiscal picture has collapsed around us.”

About 11 percent of the university’s revenue comes from tuition. UA tuition and fees are the second-lowest in the nation, among public baccalaureate institutions. Several regents noted at the meeting that students seem to understand the need for the tuition increase. No students spoke in opposition of the increase during public testimony. - More...
Monday PM - February 23, 2015

Ketchikan: KMC Auxiliary Awards over $40,000 to Medical Center Projects - The Gift Shop in the Ketchikan Medical Center lobby is a treasure.

Gift Shop and Hospice volunteers attending Saturday's annual luncheon.
Photo courtesy KMC

Not only can shoppers find a trove of interesting items to give - and keep – but proceeds from the Shop are reinvested in KMC through grants for equipment and projects. Almost a half million dollars has been donated since 2000.

Each year at the Annual Volunteer Luncheon, Auxiliary members and other volunteers decide how to allocate proceeds from the PeaceHealth Ketchikan Medical Center Gift Shop. This year the Auxiliary had approximately $40,000 available. - More...
Monday PM - February 23, 2015

Southeast Alaska: Tribe Adopts New Marriage Statute - By a unanimous vote on February 20, the Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska’s Executive Council, a governing board of seven elected council members, adopted a new tribal statute clearly authorizing its Tribal Court to conduct marriage ceremonies, divorce proceedings, and establish custody arrangements.

The passage of the new statute code is noted especially because it clearly defines that any person may enter into a legal marriage with another person regardless of gender. Central Council is the latest to join a growing list of tribes in the United States that have either amended or adopted new tribal codes to recognize gender equality in their marriage statutes. Central Council’s codification of same-sex marriage is at the vanguard in the State of Alaska. - More...
Monday PM - February 23, 2015

Alaska: New Report: 2014 Education Law, 2015 Budget Proposals Lag Education Far behind Inflation Cost Increases - A new legislative research report requested by Representative Les Gara (D-Anchorage) shows that public education funding will fall behind inflation next school year, under either the GOP’s three year plan passed last year, or Governor Walker's proposed revisions. According to today's research brief "Staffing and Enrollment Changes in Selected Alaska School Districts", a number of school districts will likely cut teachers and other educational staff under both proposals. These cuts come on top of the loss of over 600 staff in Alaska's largest school districts in fiscal years 2011-2014.

"Legislators should think seriously before cutting public education because a year of lost learning opportunity is a permanent loss to a child's ability to reach their academic potential,” said Rep. Gara. “We also don't want parents to reconsider whether they want to raise their children in Alaska.” - More...
Monday PM - February 23, 2015

Alaska: Corps Tentatively Selects Plan for Deep-Water Port in Nome - The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers – Alaska District released a draft feasibility report and environmental assessment Friday that tentatively selects a plan to establish a deep-water port in Nome to support increased vessel traffic and economic development in the Arctic.

In 2012, the Corps launched the Alaska Deep-Draft Arctic Port System Study to evaluate potential locations on the northern and western coasts of the state, and determine the feasibility of constructing navigation improvements as part of a larger system of port facilities in the Arctic and sub-Arctic region. - More...
Monday PM - February 26, 2015