1987-73 Opposing Federal Limited Entry in the Halibut, Sablefish, or Any Other Fisheries Until In-Depth Studies of the Options are Completed.and
KOOIAK ISLAND BOROUGH
RESOLUTION NO. 87 -73 -R
A RESOLUTION OF THE KODIAK ISLAND BOROUGH ASSEMBLY OPPOSING FEDERAL
LIMITED ENTRY IN HALIBUT, SABLEFISH, GROUNOFISH OR ANY OTHER FISHERIES.
WHEREAS, the Kodiak Island Borough has an approved Coastal Management
Plan which provides a system for State and Federal agencies to consider Input
from the Kodiak Island Borough on matters of Coastal Zone Management; and
WHEREAS, the North Pacific Management Council. NPFMC, stoma to be
determined to manage the helibut. sablef ish and other fisheries through federal
limited entry in the form of license limitation or quota shares; and
WHEREAS, the Intent of a license limitation program would be to
eliminate a large percentage of the participants beginning with the most recent
entrants. which would affect many Kodiak fishermen; and
WHEREAS, a limited access system would concentrate the Increasing
wealth of our fisheries into fewer and fewer hands, creating great Inequities
of opportunity in our fishing community and virtually eliminating the possibil-
ity for young people from the Kodiak community from entering the fishery; and
WHEREAS, coastal communities, specifically Kodiak and the villages on
• Kodiak Island, need open access to arid competition in the fisheries, leading to
the fairest allocation; and
WHEREAS, the restriction, retardation or exclusion of fishermen to
develop resources that abound in the vicinity would have an adverse economic
effect on this community which has seen a substantial reduction In fisheries
from time to time; and
WHEREAS. • limited access system greatly hinders diversification,
• which is an economic necessity for survival of independent fishermen; and
WHEREAS, the decline of crab stocks and rise of the importance of
other fisheries In our community demonstrates the need for diversification and
open access to fisheries; and
WHEREAS. more processors also benefit from open access to fisheries
for the local fleet because they are able to buy a bigger share of the fish;
WHEREAS, the trend of f 1 management as evidenced by federa
government policy statements is moving easy from supporting small independent
business; and
WHEREAS. 1 government intervention in farming. timber and
mining has led to the demise of the small Independent operator and the remove'
of industry from small communities; and
WHEREAS. federal limited entry will change capitalization in fishing
from buying real assets, usable in other fisher ice to artificial investments
such as shares or permit!. which will greatly inhibit the ability of the small
business fisherman to compete; and
WHEREAS. the results of the North Pacific fishery Coalition Survey
conducted in September 1987 which received input from 333 fishermen indicated
that most did not think there was sufficient time to study the direct and
indirect socio - economic impacts of limited entry before the 1988 season and
two- thirds of the respondents thought in -depth studies that analyze limited'
entry should be completed before making any decision; and
WHEREAS, the Alaska fisheries industry is one of the two largest
private sector employers in the State, and as such, too vital to the people and
the economy to rlmk 111 the inMrent dangers and inequities of such an irrever -
sible, unnecesmary management plan as • limited entry; and
WHEREAS, the entire economy of Alaskan coastal communities such as
Kodiak is small busi ly interfacing with the fisheries industry
and providing economic and logistic support to the independent fishermen; and
WHEREAS, the Kodiak Island Borough considers the rich abundant
fisheries resources in the waters surrounding Kodiak and Alaska to be • renew-
! able PUBLIC resource which $trees a primary , along with providing food
for the people of the world, of sustaining the livelihoods and economy of the
people and communities of our Island and States and
WHEREAS. the idea of permanently turning over the ownership of our
public resource to a few private hands totally contradicts the principle of
free enterprise and is contrary to the fundamentals upon which our country is
' f
WHEREAS, the halibut, sableflea, ish rasoureas are
currently in o healthy and stable condition, and are therefore capable of
providing significant economic benefit to Alaska coastal eomwanities; and
WHEREAS, in tan halibut, esbleffah, groundfish fisheries traditional
ion methods hero proven offoctiro in protecting the fisheries
resource without the need for limited access; and
Resolution No. 87 -73 -R
Page 2
WHEREAS, the implementation of federal limited entry will remove the
Influence of t State of Alaska, coastal communities, and local fishermen in
decisions regarding the management of halibut, sablefish, and groundfish
resources.
NON, THEREFORE. BE IT RESOLVED that the Kodiak Island Borough
Assembly is opposed to any form of federal limited entry in the halibut.
sabletlsh, groundfish or any other fisheries without careful in -depth study of
of the direct and indirect economic impacts on Alaskan coastal communities to
determine the scope of this type of legislation on the entire fishing Hest:
and •
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly supports
study of other management options before any final decision is made to
implement limited entry.
This resolution shall be communicated to the following people:
President Ronald Reagan
James C. Miller 111, Director OMB
Senator Ted Stevens
Senator Frank H. Murkowskl
Representative Donald E. Young
Governor Steve Cowper
North Pacific Fisheries Management Council Chairman J. Campbell
Alaska Legislature
Secretary of Commerce C. William Verity
Kodiak United Fishermens' Marketing Association
City of Kodiak
Kodiak Halibut Fisherman's Association.
All Alaskan Coastal Communities.
Resolution No. I17 -73 -R
Page 3
PAULO AND APPNOVED This 19 day of Novembe 19S7.
KOOIAK ISLAND BOROUGH
ATTEST:
By �Ly • .,:.
Borough Clirk
t
Or yc !
Acting_ler Mayor
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By 1� er
Psi / ding Officer