Troll Fishery
Dear Editor: I am the president of The Boat Company, a small cruise vessel eco-tour company that provides visitors with scenic views of Southeast Alaska coastlines, fjords and forests, hiking, beach combing, wildlife viewing, guided sport fishing, and other Southeast Alaska experiences. Our two vessels rotate out of Sitka and Juneau each weekend during the summer, bringing 20 to 24 visitors who enjoy Sitka’s scenery, harbors, fishing fleet, retailers and restaurants serving Southeast Alaska seafood.
The Boat Company is also a non-profit conservation organization. We work with the Alaska Longline Fisherman’s Association in advocacy efforts aimed at reducing trawl bycatch and with other eco-tour companies and commercial fishermen interested in preserving the wildlife and fishery values associated with the Tongass National Forest. We contribute to Sitka-based non-profits, such as the Sitka Sound Science Center and Fortress of the Bear, that educate the public about local wildlife, fisheries and other resources.
Our industry and commercial fishing are Southeast Alaska’s two largest private sector economies by far. Together, we are indispensable to the socio-economic well-being of communities like Sitka. The Boat Company and many other small businesses did not operate in 2020 and 2021 due to the pandemic. But commercial fishermen went to work, at considerable expense and hardship, helping to support the many restaurants, retailers, welders, gear suppliers and other service providers that are essential to those of us plying Southeast Alaska’s waters in the tourism trade. In 2020 Southeast Alaska’s troll fleet was the most valuable salmon fishery, led by its Chinook harvests.
This is why, as a conservationist and Southeast Alaska-based business operator, it is hard to express my outrage at the actions of a Washington state-based conservation group, The Wild Fish Conservancy, without using language that is inappropriate for a family newspaper. The Wild Fish Conservancy blames the troll fishery for the decline of Southern Resident orcas, decline of wild salmon, and ruination of numerous Pacific Northwest communities. Good grief. The harmful effects of industrialization, urbanization, toxic contamination and vessel traffic on Puget Sound’s orcas are well known. Wild Fish Conservancy staff should be looking in the mirror rather pointing their fingers at a thousand mile distant small boat fishery.
The Boat Company recently researched Alaska community fishery economics as part of a petition explaining the damage done by Washington state trawl companies to a variety of Alaska commercial and sport fisheries. That research shows how important the troll fishery – Alaska’s second largest fishing fleet – is to the region, and particularly Sitka. Because of the high rate of resident permit and boat ownership, the troll fleet is of unique and vital importance to numerous Sitka businesses.
University of Alaska research shows that every million dollars in resident fishery earnings generates seven jobs and another million and a half dollars in other community revenue. Similarly, International Pacific Halibut Commission research shows that each million dollars in halibut harvest revenue – a product nearly identical to Chinook in terms of markets and value – generates four times that value as it circulates through the economy. Most of that value accrues in Alaska communities – particularly in Southeast Alaska, with high levels of local quota ownership and local processing. There are also many out of state trollers, who, like The Boat Company’s vessels, rely on Southeast Alaska communities as home ports for nearly half the year and make massive expenditures in Alaska.
Access to Chinook is so important to the survival of the troll fishery that I fear community economic shortfalls flowing from the loss of a $30 million a year plus fishery will run in the tens of millions of dollars, particularly in Sitka. These small businesses will have a hard time surviving the loss of nearly half their annual income. The economic effects will be like having another pandemic caused callously – and needlessly – by the Wild Fish Conservancy.
The Boat Company requests our colleagues in the tourism industry to do all we can to help the troll fleet – we all serve local seafood; let’s do it even more. Become a business member of the Alaska Trollers Association. This fishery benefits every business in the community that we all depend on.
Hunter McIntosh,
The Boat Company
Human Trafficking
Dear Editor: January is National Human Trafficking Prevention month. The U.S. Department of Justice defines human trafficking as “a crime that involves compelling or coercing a person to provide labor or services, or to engage in commercial sex acts. The coercion can be subtle or overt, physical or psychological. Exploitation of a minor for commercial sex is human trafficking, regardless of whether any form of force, fraud, or coercion was used.”
Perhaps you already know that sex trafficking occurs in major cities both in the U.S. and overseas, and that human trafficking is reported by the U.S. Department of Justice as “the world’s fastest growing criminal enterprise, valued to be an estimated $32 billion-a-year global industry.” Yes, it’s appalling!
But surely not in Sitka!? Again, let us quote the DOJ: “Sex trafficking can and does take place in every community, no matter the cultural make up, the affluence, or the location of a community. No community is immune from being affected by the exploitation of human beings for commercial sexual activity.”
Erin Terry, FBI Victim Specialist in Anchorage, states, “The general rule of thumb in Alaska is, if your community has a drug problem, you also have a trafficking problem.”
Let’s educate ourselves, and our kids and grandkids in age-appropriate ways about what sex trafficking is, how to avoid being taken advantage of while online, and how to stand up to sexting and sextortion pressure. Sextortion is when someone threatens to distribute your private and sensitive material if you don’t provide them images of a sexual nature, sexual favors, or money. This evil is increasing. Our kids and grandkids need to know that there is help, and that there are safe people who can help them.
There are many helpful websites including ncmec.org (National Center for Missing and Exploited Children). See especially their Netsmartz and Kidsmartz programs with age-appropriate videos and resources.
If you are being trafficked or suspect that someone is being trafficked, you can call 911, or the National Human Trafficking Hotline at 1-888-373-7888 or go to their website humantraffickinghotline.org. Victims can also contact Sitkans Against Family Violence (SAFV) locally at 907-747-3370.
Let’s work together towards eradicating human trafficking!
Carin Adickes, Kristine Corduan,
Alene Henning, Mary Stevens,
Dug and Susan Jensen,
Kathie Johnson, Kathy Newman,
Gary and Coke Oines,
Marjorie and Richard Parmelee
Student Project
Dear Editor: The fourth-graders at Aviston Elementary, located in southern Illinois, will be studying the five different regions in the United States. We will learn about each region’s environment, climate, resources, history and main highlights. We are hoping to get volunteers to mail us some items from their state/region with your help by publishing this letter or information.
In the past, we have the kids open the mail in small groups, mount the information and arrange the items in front of large, decorated state boards, and respond with thank you letters before opening the next piece of mail. Finally, each group will present and share the information with the rest of the class. A ‘‘state fair’’ will also be presented in the cafeteria to display the state boards including all the items received for each state. At the end of the year, an auction is held, and the students are able to purchase items with their awarded ‘‘money’’ they earn in class.
We are hoping that with your help, people who read this letter will be interested in mailing our class items pertaining to their state. This is such an amazing opportunity for our students.
Our address: 4th Grade/Albers, Aviston Elementary, 350 South Hull Street, Aviston, Illinois 62216.
A sincere thank you to anyone who is able to contribute. We appreciate the excitement you will add to our learning experience.
Mrs. Albers 4th Grade Class,
Aviston Elementary,
Aviston, Illinois
