The Northern Hawk coming to roost in Seward? CVRF photoSteady followers of Deckboss know we pay a good bit of attention to the federal Community Development Quota program, which allocates shares of Bering Sea fish and crab to six companies for harvest on behalf of Western Alaska villages.
Since the program started in 1992, the companies have acquired numerous fishing vessels.
Many are based in Seattle, long the traditional home port for the bigger boats working in Alaska.
Now one of the CDQ companies, Coastal Villages Region Fund, is seriously looking to move its fleet to Alaska, including its 341-foot flagship, the Northern Hawk.
Coastal is working with the city of Seward, which is stoked at the prospect of landing a new fleet to support jobs and local businesses.
The company and Seward say they have a "historic opportunity" to base Alaska's fishing fleet here, where it belongs.
Naturally, Seward officials are now doing what people do when pursuing big dreams in Alaska — hit up the state Legislature for money.
The city envisions a major port project at its Seward Marine Industrial Center, on the eastern shore of Resurrection Bay, and is asking legislators for $400,000 to conduct preliminary engineering and other studies.
In a rousing letter to Seward's mayor, Coastal touts its "quarter of a billion dollar balance sheet" and supposes that the other five CDQ companies just might follow Coastal's lead in relocating their fleets to Alaska.
The letter and other interesting documents are in this packet of papers obtained from the city of Seward.
I envision a day when the Bering Sea fleet, including the CDQ's are not catching ANY King Salmon
ReplyDeleteGreat idea randyk... Lets get rid of the largest employer in the State so a couple hundred "native" people can live a subsistence lifestyle on the Yukon- great idea...
ReplyDeleteFrom the Kodiak Daily Mirror: http://www.kodiakdailymirror.com/?pid=19&id=9602
The fishing industry is reported to be the largest employer statewide, outside of government employment, with more than 70,000 people engaged in the industry when both harvesters and processors are included.
It's not that easy, Anony. I suggest the Bering Sea fleet does't even employ a large number of Alaskans. Your racist overtones aren't useful, either. Let the door be open for you to leave. Racists are not welcome in Alaska.
ReplyDeleteDude - the Native corporations are the wealthiest corporations in the State - and 90% of their investments are in companies in the lower 48. What are you talking about employing Alaskans? Fishing industry employs many Alaskans - maybe 60% - whereas the big megacorporations "owned" by the natives spend all their profits investing in the lower 48.
ReplyDeleteNote Coastal is a CDQ group not a Native Corporation. BIG difference!
ReplyDeleteRegardless of the banter, it would be nice to see more "home porting" in AK. I'm skeptical about whether it will happen.
ReplyDeleteanonymous,
ReplyDeleteThose King Salmon feed a lot more the "a couple of hundred natives". King Salmon numbers are dropping coast wide. The State of Alaska is supposed to manage for abundance.Having an unlimited amount of cash for Juneau lobbyists is not a "management tool".
In Homer they built a deep water dock when Oceantrawl decided to homeport there. Only one of their boats showed up once.
ReplyDeleteIt sounds like the City of Seward is getting suckered in by the Coastal Villages Region Fund in asking the state for "preliminary engineering and other studies." monies. Let the CDQs foot the bill as this project is "fisheries related economic development" - $400,000 is peanuts compared to what they have invested into the destructive Pollock Fishery with the Peoples Money. The CDQs are so tight-wadded it makes Abe Lincoln cry!
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