As mayor of a community that relies upon healthy fisheries to sustain our economy and city services, I find the prospect of a centralized ocean policy that restricts the autonomy of our Regional Fishery Management Councils to be troubling.
For over a year, the Obama administration has been in the process of developing a National Ocean Policy process that appears to reduce the autonomy and authority of our regional councils. This significant shift from a regional council with considerable public input to a massive federal panel that largely excludes the public is being sold as a necessary change to enhance the conservation of our marine resources while coordinating activities that take place at sea. Yet, after spending significant time and resources, officials are still unable to address basic concerns of our commercial fisheries and fishing-dependent communities.
Unalaska/Dutch Harbor has been the most prolific fishing port in the nation for 22 years running. The large scale of our fishing activity and the community's financial stability speaks volumes about the current regional fishery management process and its success, and indicates the current system is working.
Read the complete opinion piece from the Anchorage Daily News.