March 1, 2018 — The Unalaska City Council is standing by its request that Congress place restrictions on a troubled factory trawler commissioned by Fishermen’s Finest.
The company urged councilors earlier this month to rescind a letter they sent to Alaska’s Congressional delegation.
But councilors stood firm on Tuesday, arguing that sideboards must be imposed on the catcher-processor America’s Finest.
Without restrictions, Vice Mayor Dennis Robinson said the vessel could stay offshore and swipe profitable cod deliveries that should go to Unalaska’s shoreside processing plants.
“The shore sector is the lifeblood of this community,” said Robinson. “Without them, we wouldn’t be building a library. We wouldn’t be doing the stuff that we’re able to do.”
The rest of the council agreed after an hour of testimony dominated by representatives from shoreside fish processors.
UniSea President Tom Enlow said he’s sympathetic to the situation in Anacortes, Washington, where America’s Finest sits unfinished in a shipyard. The vessel can’t get in the water until Congress waives a construction mistake that broke federal law.