Young Fishermen Class
Dear Editor: Earlier this week you may have seen a group of young people fighting a simulated wheelhouse fire, practicing knots and splicing, or floating around Crescent Harbor in orange gumby suits. These enthusiastic participants from Juneau, Petersburg, Sitka and Kodiak earned their commercial fishing crew certification from the three-day Alaska On Board young fishermen workshop hosted by the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association, the Alaska Marine Conservation Council, Alaska Sea Grant Alaska, and the Alaska Marine Safety and Education Association.
In addition to knot tying and splicing, this first ever Alaska On Board workshop trained participants in a host of commercial fishing crew skills, from electrical and hydraulic systems to basic navigation and self-care in a challenging and often hazardous occupation. Participants also earned their drill instructor certification from AMSEA that will improve their safety at sea as well as the safety of all who work with them on the ocean. We look forward to hosting the next Alaska On Board crew training workshop in Petersburg next month.
Our Alaska On Board young fishermen training is a workforce development initiative supported by the City of Sitka and the National Sea Grant via the Young Fishermen’s Development Act, a bill championed by Alaska’s Congressional Delegation to fund training and education for young fishermen. ALFA is grateful for this support and for the partner organizations, AMCC, Sea Grant, and AMSEA, who made this workshop a resounding success. Thank you also to our first class of participants, and to the skippers who joined us during the workshop to share their experience, allow students to tour their boats, and recruit crew. Your insight and stories added grit, color, and context to the discussion.
Need crew? Give ALFA a call. We might be able to help!
Linda Behnken, Executive Director
Alaska Longline
Fishermen’s Association
Sitka Food Summit
Dear Editor: A heartfelt thank you to all the Sitkans who attended the 2024 Sitka Food Summit and all the volunteers who made that event a reality. We had over 50 attendees provide feedback and offer suggestions on the preliminary data collected for the Sitka Community Food Assessment Report.
If you missed this opportunity but want to stay up-to-date on the project, please email Callie at sitkafoodassessment@gmail.com. Our steering committee plans to have a rough draft of the report out this fall, with community presentations to follow. Stay tuned!
We would like to especially thank our generous food donors: Beak Restaurant, Mean Queen, Southeast Dough Co. and Enoki Eatery for providing a hearty meal.
Thank you to our supporting non-profits Transition Sitka and the Sitka Local Foods Network for technical support of this project. This event and the project would not have been possible without the dedicated time of our steering committee with representation from the Sitka Public Library, Blessings in a Backpack, Sitka Conservation Society, Sitka Tribe of Alaska Social Services, Sitkans Against Family Violence, and UAF Cooperative Extension.
Gunalcheesh to Maybelle Fuller, Jackie DeBell, Mel Beadle, Elasah Quinn, Elizabeth Naz, Dr. Gabriel Garcia, Dr. Jenny Miller, Barbara Bingham, Toby Campbell, Leah Mason, Kristina Tirman, John Lewis, Joel Hanson, Charles, Bingham, Sarah Lawrie, Tom Hart, and Lianza Stephen for volunteering their time and expertise. Sitka Homeless Coalition, Sitka Rotary Club, Sitka White Elephant, AC Lakeside, Sea Mart Quality Foods, Old Harbor Books, Sitka Sound Science Center, UAS Sitka Campus, Coffee with Elders, The Salvation Army, Manna Meals, Sitka Pioneers Home, Sitka Public Library, Sitka School District, Sitka Sentinel, KCAW Raven Radio, and the Sitka Farmers Market for their support of the project. In gratitude,
Callie Simmons, Sitka
UAA grad student
