Shipyard Support
Dear Editor: Hello, my name is Mia Anderson. I am a freshman at Brown University who graduated last spring from Mt. Edgecumbe High School in Sitka. I am also a fisherwoman.
For the past few years, I have spent my summers working on a commercial fishing boat. During my first summer, I traveled to Wrangell to help out with maintenance work that needed to be done on the boat. I helped with work such as painting and fiberglassing, while the captain did much of the electrical and mechanical work. However, despite the amount of work we did on our own, there was still a lot that required the help and work of people with more expertise.
As a city-run operation, the Wrangell haulout provides over 100 local tradesmen a clientele base to support their income, and that, plus the general operation, amounts to a majority of Wrangell’s economy. Wrangell’s haulout exemplifies the opportunities that a new marine haulout could provide for Sitka, economically and community wise.
According to SEDA, Sitka is home to “the largest commercial fishing fleet in Southeast Alaska.” We have a total of five harbors, amounting to 1,272 stalls and over 1 mile of transient docks. Sitka typically had 1,200 transient vessel visits. Taking these numbers, consider the wide range of opportunities and benefits a city-run marine haulout could create for Sitka.
A Sitka-based haulout would be a great convenience and service not only to local fishermen and families but also to commercial fishermen who fish Southeast. It would be more cost-effective for fishermen to have their boats hauled out here than to travel to other areas such as Wrangell, Hoonah and Bellingham. This would save local fishermen time and money, allow them to spend more time with their family, and keep money in the local economy as they purchase materials and supplies from local vendors and engage the services of local tradesmen.
In addition, as people utilize the haulout, this will encourage other highly skilled workers to move to Sitka as they recognize the potential to earn a living. This would help build the population of our community, which has been decreasing in recent years due to high costs of living. Because Sitka is larger, it has more services available (a 24-hour grocery store, multiple restaurants, two laundromats, two hardware stores, a fishing supply store, etc.), so it would be the haul-out location of choice for most.
All of these businesses and vendors profiting from the haulout would be paying sales tax, which would go back to the city as a profit. Profits could then be used for other public services, such as schools and libraries.
In conclusion, the marine haulout, especially a city-run one, would help to develop a stronger infrastructure for Sitka and, ultimately, a more sustainable future for the community. It would greatly support and benefit the local economy and community as a whole.
At first, it may be difficult to see the profit and value of a haulout, but it will have a trickle-down effect that will ultimately profit the city, the local economy, the community, and the citizens.
Mia Anderson, Sitka
