Alaska Fishing Communities

Alaska Fishing Communities

Protecting and promoting the interests of Alaska Fishing Communities dependent on all aspects of harvesting and processing fishery resources.

About Alaska Fishing Communities

Alaska Fishing Communities (AFC) is a coalition of like-minded participants including communities, boroughs, harvesters, recreational anglers, tribal members and CDQ entities.

Rotating Chairmanship

AFC is led by all of our participants. Each year, AFC will rotate its chairmanship to ensure equitable participation, dialogue and leadership opportunities.

Workgroups

The coalition uses workgroups to share information, provide policy analysis and provide recommendations in order to maximize expertise and coordination among all willing participants.

Current Workgroups

  • Equal Resource Access (Bycatch Reduction)
  • BSAI Pacific Cod Trawl CV LAPP
  • Magnuson-Stevens Act & National Standards
  • Historical Participation
  • Strategy & Communications
  • Climate Change

Seven Core Principles

Alaska coastal communities and our people depend upon socially, racially and economically equitable fishery management policies that protect access for generations.

The Alaska Fishing Communities Coalition is guided by 7 Core Principles:

  1. Conservation of Alaska’s fishery resources and prevention of overfishing through science-based fisheries management and habitat protection;
  2. Sustainable community and community-based fishermen participation in and access to fishery resources
  3. Fair and equitable sharing of Alaska’s fishery resources;
  4. Recognition of coastal communities 10,000-year cultural and economic dependence on fishery resources;
  1. Reductions of bycatch and bycatch mortality to the extent practicable;
  2. Balance in how the MSA National Standards are weighted in fisheries management;
  3. Management policies responsive to the effects of climate change on fisheries, recognizing the unique vulnerability of coastal communities.

What's at Stake?

Declines in coastal community access to fisheries has already resulted in economic displacement, and school closures, as well as loss of population, traditional ways of life, and essential services. This cannot continue. It is inconsistent with the Magnuson-Stevens Act National Standards, and harmful impacts to the economies of fishery dependent communities result in revenue loss and additional responsibilities for the State of Alaska.

Culture

Alaska fishing communities support a traditional way of life, subsistence and personal use of marine resources critical to Alaska Native and local populations. Alaska Native peoples have continued to live and thrive along the coast since their ancestors arrived over 10,000 years ago, and are still sustained by the marine resources they have stewarded for millennia.

With the advent of western culture, Native communities were forced to adapt to and are now dependent on the commercial utilization of these resources as well. Sustaining and protecting diverse community access to Alaska’s resources is vital because of these intersection of traditional and commercial uses.

Equity

The diversity represented by Alaska fishing communities makes Alaska’s racial, social, cultural and economic fabrics event stronger. But Alaska fishing communities’ access to fishery resources continues to decline.

  • Bycatch of emblematic state species like salmon, halibut, sablefish and crab has risen.
  • Directed fisheries of those emblematic state species are declining, threatened with closure.
  • Warming ocean temperatures are changing the distribution, productivity and abundance of marine species, increasing the risk to and vulnerability of Alaska fishing communities connected to place by tradition, culture and livelihood.

Economy

Alaska fishing communities and coastal boroughs are critical to Alaska’s economy and one-third of the State’s population. They invest in essential port, healthcare, transportation, educational and logistical infrastructure, supporting commercial and recreational fishing fleets, seafood processors, and subsistence activities.

Commercial Fishing Economics:
  • Alaska’s largest employer: 60,000 jobs in state and more than 100,000 nationwide
  • Alaska’s largest international export by value
  • Alaska’s largest manufacturing sector, up to 70% of total manufacturing statewide
  • Produces 58% of the fish caught in the United States
  • Generates more that $5.6 billion in revenues for the State and $14 billion in economic output for the nation
  • Supports Alaskan service and transportation industries
Recreational Fishing Economics:
  • Generates $250 million in economic activity and thousands of annual visitors
  • Draws up to 400,000 salt water anglers annually
  • Diversifies coastal economies and provides residents with access to state fisheries
  • Generates approximately 16,000 jobs
  • Approximately 600 businesses provide marine-based fishing trips

Want More Information?

Have a question? Want to learn more about what Alaska Fishing Communities is doing to support local fishermen?

Feel free to contact us, and we will be more than happy to answer all of your questions.

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Alaska Fishing Communities

Protecting & promoting
the interests of Alaska
fishing communities.

Alaska Fishing Communities.

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Alaska Fishing Communities

Have a question? Want to learn more about what we are doing to support local fishermen?

Feel free to contact us, and we will be more than happy to answer all of your questions.