Alaska’s Board of Fisheries is considering moving its Southeast meeting back to Ketchikan, and it’s asking the public to weigh in.
The board plans to discuss more than 150 proposed changes to Southeast Alaska finfish and shellfish regulations at the meeting, which was originally slated to be held in Ketchikan at the beginning of this month, but was postponed due to a rise in COVID-19 cases in the region.
The meeting was then moved to Anchorage and pushed back two months, to early March. That prompted additional criticism from fishermen and subsistence harvesters, who said they were concerned that their input would not be adequately heard. Some also pointed out that the postponed meeting could cut into commercial and subsistence harvesting seasons in Southeast.
But now, the Board of Fish says it’s mulling a do-over for the meeting’s location. In a statement released on Monday (January 24), Board of Fish Executive Director Glenn Haight wrote that Ketchikan Rep. Dan Ortiz, who represents southern Southeast Alaska, worked with the city of Ketchikan to make the Ted Ferry Civic Center available in March. One hitch in the new plan is that the center is only available for 11 days, and the meeting was scheduled for 13 days, so some agenda items would be deferred until the board’s next statewide meeting.
The Board of Fish is asking for public comment on whether to hold the meeting in Ketchikan. The deadline to submit comments is Wednesday (January 26), a day before the board is scheduled to meet to consider the location. Comments can be emailed to board staff at dfg.bof.comments@alaska.gov or faxed to (907) 465-6094. Oral testimony will not be taken on this issue.
