FY2006-19 NPFMC Gulf of Alaska Rationalization ProgramKODIAK ISLAND BOROUGH
RESOLUTION NO. FY2006 -19
Introduced by: - Mayor Selby
Requested by: Assembly
Introduced: 12/01/05
Amended: 12/01/2005
Adopted: 12/01/2005
A RESOLUTION OF THE KODIAK ISLAND BOROUGH ASSEMBLY
REQUESTING NORTH PACIFIC FISHERY MANAGEMENT COUNCIL'S
CONSIDERATION OF COMMUNITY CONCERNS IN THE PENDING
GULF OF ALASKA RATIONALIZATION PROGRAM
WHEREAS, the harvesting and processing sectors of the Kodiak Island fishing community are
substantially involved in and substantially dependent upon the Gulf of Alaska groundfish fisheries; and
WHEREAS, Kodiak Island's economic and social health is inherently dependent on the community's
sustained participation in all aspects of the Gulf groundfish fisheries; and
WHEREAS, the Kodiak Island Borough is dependent on groundfish through investments in shore
based processing facilities, support infrastructure, and catcher vessels as well as the economic base
of the value of fish; and
WHEREAS, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council has developed a suite of fishery allocation
alternatives for the Gulf of Alaska groundfish fisheries, and is working toward adoption of a preferred
alternative for implementation; and
WHEREAS, allocating exclusive harvesting and /or processing privileges promotes consolidation in
the fishing fleet and the processing sector, which may improve efficiency, but also results in skippers,
crew members and processing workers bearing the costs of consolidation without fully sharing in the
related benefits; and
WHEREAS, fishery rationalization may create opportunities and incentives to produce more and
higher value products, it also changes the distribution of fishery revenues among participants by
altering the balance of market power between fishermen and processors, with potentially disruptive
effects on the communities in which they live; and
WHEREAS, by awarding harvesting and /or processing privileges, fishery allocations make possible
orderly harvesting and processing, but also facilitate migration of landings to communities with
infrastructure advantages (such as road system access) and create barriers to entry for later
generations of fishery participants; and
WHEREAS, it is essential that the potential adverse affects of Gulf groundfish rationalization be
identified and analyzed, and that program adjustments be made to mitigate the potential adverse
effects of Gulf groundfish rationalization on Kodiak Island and its residents prior to implementation;
and
WHEREAS, Kodiak is the largest fishing port in the Gulf of Alaska and has been one of the top four
fishing ports in the nation every year for more than 25 years;
NOW, THEREFORE, BE IT RESOLVED, BY THE ASSEMBLY OF THE KODIAK ISLAND
BOROUGH THAT the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (the "Council ") is hereby requested
to take the following actions in connection with its development of a Gulf of Alaska groundfish
rationalization program:
Kodiak Island Borough Alaska Resolution No. FY2006 -19
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1. Complete the Council's review of the Bering Sea crab rationalization program to enable the public
to evaluate and comment on the impacts of crab rationalization and to enable the Council to make
appropriate adjustments to the Gulf rationalization program in response.
2. Thoroughly analyze each alternative being considered by the Council before eliminating any of the
alternatives, to provide the public with the opportunity to compare the effects of the various
alternatives on harvesters (including skippers and crew members), processors (including
workers), fishing support services, and Gulf fishing communities.
3. Include limits on harvesting consolidation through vessel use caps that apply without exemption,
and that are calculated to sustain skipper and crew employment opportunities and compensation.
4. Develop and bring forward for consideration an additional alternative which includes no processor
shares, linkages or privileges of any kind. For alternatives already being considered, include
measures to maintain a diverse, competitive processing market, by providing a substantial pool of
groundfish privileges for each sector that can be harvested without penalty and are not subject to
processor linkage or processor closed class delivery requirements. This should include phasing
out of the off shore processing sector.
5. If processing privileges are included, limit consolidation of such privileges through processor and
facility use caps.
6. Designate Federal harvesting privileges by region to reflect landing patterns similar to those
occurring prior to program adoption, and require that fish harvested under such privileges be
landed in their designated region.
7. Include a reasonable groundfish allocation which may be harvested and processed without
holding any Federal or State dedicated access privilege, subject to restrictions that the State of
Alaska may deem necessary to maintain the entry level character of such allocation.
8. Include a community fisheries quota program that provides an opportunity for small Gulf coastal
communities to enhance their residents' participation in the Gulf groundfish fishery, under the
conditions that the allocation to such program does not disrupt other Gulf of Alaska fishery
dependent communities by displacing their fishermen, is required to be harvested by residents of
the eligible communities, and requires that harvests made under such program be delivered on
shore within the region of their allocation.
9. Include a community purchase program that provides Gulf coastal communities with the
opportunity to maintain participation by their residents in the Gulf groundfish fishery by acquiring
harvesting privileges for use by their residents, under the conditions that the Kodiak Island
communities are eligible communities, and such program includes reasonable limits on the
amount of harvesting privileges that any single eligible community may hold.
ADOPTED BY THE ASSEMBLY OF THE KODIAK ISLAND BOROUGH
THIS FIRST DAY OF DECEMBER 2005
ATT T:
d - m
Ju A. Nielsen, CMC, Bo gh Clerk
Kodiak Island Borough Alaska
DIAK ISLAND
J M. Selby, Boroug
Resolution No. FY2006 -19
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