People are mammals too.
That was the message delivered to the North Pacific Fishery Management Council by a parade of industry and community representatives who warned that contemplated year-round closures of Pacific cod and Atka mackerel fishing will cost hundreds of jobs and tens of millions in lost revenue annually.
The final decision on the scope of fishery closures in the central and western Aleutian Islands designed to protect food supplies for Steller sea lions does not rest with the North Pacific council, however.
The federal National Marine Fisheries Service, or NMFS, will reveal its final decision in October, and no changes will be allowed at the council's regularly scheduled meeting in Anchorage. Whether the council chooses to approve the action or not, the closures are now scheduled to take effect Jan. 1, 2011, once they are approved by the Secretary of Commerce.
According to the draft assessment of economic impact prepared by NMFS, the total loss of gross revenue from the closures to the Aleutians fleet is between $50 million and $66 million per year. The Aleutians fleet, which includes more than 40 vessels, such as catcher/processors, longliners and trawlers, employs between 700 and 900 annually.
Read the complete story from the Alaska Journal of Commerce.