Alaska Young Fishermen's Summit

A three-day Alaska Young Fishermen's Summit begins today at the Hilton hotel in downtown Anchorage.

This is a popular event offering young people a crash course on the marketing, money, management, politics and physical dangers of fishing for a living in Alaska.

It's the third such summit hosted by the Alaska Sea Grant Marine Advisory Program since 2007.

Summit participants will hear from a broad array of experts and veteran fishermen.

Among the presenters: Gunnar Knapp, University of Alaska Anchorage fisheries economist; Kodiak trawl guru Al Burch; Seward halibut and sablefish longliners Jim and Rhonda Hubbard; University of Alaska Fairbanks fisheries scientist Gordon Kruse; Sitka salmon troller Eric Jordan; Haines commercial fisherman and state Rep. Bill Thomas; Lea Klingert, president of the Alaska Commercial Fishing and Agriculture Bank; John Sackton, editor and publisher of the Massachusetts-based Web site Seafood.com; and Steve Wardley of the Findus Group, a leading European seafood supplier.