September 24, 2026 — Southwest Alaska communities are calling for fisheries policy discussions to remain grounded in science while giving greater consideration to the fishing families, processors, workers, and coastal communities affected by management decisions.
The Southwest Alaska Municipal Conference, or SWAMC, adopted a joint resolution June 15 calling for “fact-based dialogue on the future of Alaska fisheries and coastal communities.” The resolution has since gained support from communities and boroughs across the region.
SWAMC pointed to the region’s outsized role in Alaska’s seafood economy, saying Southwest Alaska is home to four of the nation’s top fishing ports and accounts for nearly 70 percent of the state’s seafood processing output. From 2015 through 2024, economic activity in Southwest Alaska communities generated approximately 75 percent of Alaska’s shared fisheries tax revenues, according to the resolution.
The resolution comes as fisheries policy continues to feature prominently in public debate across Alaska. SWAMC said proposals under discussion could significantly affect fishing families, seafood workers, processors, local governments, Alaska Native communities and coastal economies, and argued that the economic, social and cultural consequences should be considered alongside biological sustainability.