1982-38 Opposing The Share-Quota System Of Allocation Of Fisheries Resources.1
11 1
1:007AK ISLAND BOROUGH
RESOLUTION N0. 82 -38 -R
A RESOLUTION OF THE KODIAK ISLAND BOROUGH ASSEMBLY OPPOSING THE
SHARE -QUOTA SYSTEM OF ALLOCATION OF FISHERIES RESOURCES.
WHEREAS, the North Pacific Fisher y Management Council on March 25, 1982
t
enacted a moratorium on new entrants to
that a shares -quota system of allocation of the sfisherybbe prepared for the
1983
season, and
WHEREAS, the United States Senate recently passed SB 2244 giving the
Council the necessary authority to enact such a system, and
WHEREAS, the bill is expected to pass the U. 5. House of Representatives
without any public hearings, and
WHEREAS, the proposed share system will allocate permanent fishing
shares consisting of a fixed percentage of the halibut to individual fishermen
based on their average harvests of the past three years as a percent of the total
harvest, and
WHEREAS, it is intended that these shares may thereafter be bought,
sold or leased by the initial shareholders, and that individual shareholders may
purchase additional shares from willing sellers up to an aggregate of two percent,
or possibly higher, of the total quota per shareholder,
WHEREAS, it appears inevitable that these shares will concentrate to
fewer and fewer people, theoretically as few as 50 if two percent is the maximum
allowed per person, and
WHEREAS, the annual value of the halibut harvest in Alaska approaches
$50,000,000 to the fishermen, and
WHEREAS, it has been conservatively estimated that the value of halibut
shares could be three to five times the value of their annual allowed catch, or
about $250,000,000, creating an undeserved windfall to the initial shareholders,
and an even greater burden to future potential shareholders, and
WHEREAS, this halibut share -quota system is being used as a
precedent
, prototype for other Alaskan fisheries by state and federal fishery managers,
and
WHEREAS, under the shares system a fishe
catch
'So1ely on the number of shares he owns (his wealth) rather thanwonlhis abilities,
al as a fisherman, and
WHEREAS, such a system will concentrate the increasing wealth of our
fisheries into fewer and fewer hands, creating great inequities of opportunity
in our fishing communities, particularly among the young, and
1 1 ' I 2 ! ".
WHEREAS, the share system greatly hinders fishermen from being able to
diversify among various fisheries, thus depriving them of a key element for
success, and
WHEREAS, Alaska fishery managers already have an adequate variety of
regulatory tools such as harvest levels, sex and size limits, gear restrictions,
area closures, et cetera and our fisheries are generally very healthy biolog-
ically, and
WHEREAS, the fishing industry is too vital to the people and economy of
Kodiak and Alaska to risk all the inherent dangers and inequities of such an
irreversible, unnecessary management plan as the shares system, and
WHEREAS, the Kodiak Island Borough considers the rich, abundant
fisheries resources in the waters surrounding Kodiak Island and Alaska to be a
renewable PUBLIC resource which serves a primary purpose, along with helping
feed people around the world, of sustaining the livelihoods and economy of the
people and communities of our island and state, and
WHEREAS, the idea of permanently turning over the ownership of our
public resource to a few private hands is repugnant to the fishing industry and
people of Kodiak.
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED that the Kodiak Island Borough is
opposed to the share -quota system of allocation of any fisheries resources in
Alaska, and that this resolution be communicated to the following people:
The President
Ronald Reagan
The Honorable Jay S. Hammond
Governor of Alaska
The Honorable Ted Stevens
United States Senate
The Honorable Frank H. Murkowski
United States Senate
The Honorable Edward M. Kennedy
United States Senate
The Honorable Don Young
The United States House of Representatives
The Honorable John B. Breaux
The United States House of Rep1
The Honorable Gerry E. Studds
The United States House of Representatives
NPFMD, Chairman, Clem Tillion
Alaska Legislature
Messrs. H. A. Boucher, Steve Cowper, Tom Fink, Oral E. Freeman,
Bruce J. Lemke, Terry Miller, Rick Reakoff, Bill Sheffield, Edward J.
Vincent, Brad Bradley, Mike Collette, Stephen McAlpine Charles H.
Parr, Terry Stimson, David A. Rose
All Alaska Cities
Resolution No. 82 -38 -R
I
1 1 1 1 1 1 n
PASSED AND APPROVED this 30th day of
the Borough Assembly.
ATTEST:
BY BorougfCl ;
/11 f
Ayes 7
!;Resolution No. 82 -38 -R
?age 3
ij
Nays 0
Aril
KODIAK ISLAND BOROUGH
, 1982 by
B y , ' i
9 Mayo R. David Herrnsteen