Troll Ruling Overturned
Dear Editor: As a troller, I was greatly relieved to hear that common sense had finally prevailed and the Ninth Circuit Court overturned the 2023 ruling that nearly canceled last summer’s Chinook troll fishery and had the potential to restrict all Southeast fisheries that catch king salmon.
Thankfully, the Alaska Trollers Association agreed to take on the role of defendant-intervenor early in the lawsuit to ensure that fishermen’s interests would be protected. Their victory has been a costly one. Over the last several years, many local groups, businesses, and individuals have contributed to this effort.
The Seafood Producers Cooperative and the Sitka Assembly led the way with their early generous financial support. Also locally the Sitka Elks Lodge, Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association, Hames Corporation, Sitka Conservation Society, Delta Western, LFS, Silver Bay Seafoods, Sitka Sound Seafoods, and the Chinook Futures Coalition, as well as many others in Sitka and elsewhere, made important contributions towards sustaining our fishery and with it the Southeast Alaska economy and rural lifestyle. Thank you.
Tad Fujioka, Sitka, FV Sakura
