New ASMI board members

The governor recently made two appointments to the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute board of directors.

• Christine O'Connor fills an open harvester seat on the board. She is executive director of the Alaska Telecom Association, ASMI's latest monthly marketing update says. She holds a Bristol Bay salmon setnet permit, the Alaska Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission database shows.

• Eric Deakin fills a seat designated for a large processor. He is CEO of Coastal Villages Region Fund, one of Alaska's six community development quota organizations.

With these appointments, all seven seats on the ASMI board are now filled.

New fish plant reported at Savoonga

Here's the story from KNOM radio.

A plum for CDQ program in Trump's megabill?

The "big beautiful bill" now under debate in Congress appears to include certain tax benefits for Alaska's community development quota program.

The Alaska Beacon news website, in a story posted Saturday, linked to the latest version of the huge bill.

The CDQ provisions can be found in Section 70428, pages 468-70.

We'll certainly endeavor to learn more about what this is and exactly who would benefit.

Opinion: Appreciate CDQ program, pollock fishery

In an Anchorage Daily News opinion piece, three community development quota executives tout the value of the CDQ program and the pollock fishery that underpins it.

New leadership for a CDQ organization

The Central Bering Sea Fishermen's Association, one of Alaska's six community development quota organizations, today announced Ray Melovidov as its new president.

He takes over for CBSFA's longtime president, Phillip Lestenkof, who is retiring.

CBSFA represents St. Paul Island under the CDQ program.

Coastal Villages acquires Honda, Ski-Doo dealer

Here's the press release.

An update on the CDQ decennial review

The state of Alaska says it has completed its 10-year review of community development quota organizations and determined that all six have "maintained or improved performance."

More details in this press release.

CDQ review

A "decennial review" of the community development quota program is underway.

Here's an update from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to the North Pacific Fishery Management Council.

A significant CDQ hire

Michael Link is the new president and CEO of Bristol Bay Economic Development Corp., one of Alaska's six community development quota companies.

Sizeable CDQ financing

The federal government is making $197 million in loans available to Alaska's six community development quota companies.

More CDQ news

The Bristol Bay Economic Development Corp. is looking for a new president and CEO.

A big CDQ deal

Norton Sound Economic Development Corp., one of the state's community development quota companies, is acquiring a controlling interest in Bering Sea trawl operator Glacier Fish Co.

A change at the top for Coastal Villages

Coastal Villages Region Fund has announced that longtime Executive Director Morgen Crow has retired.

Anchorage-based Coastal Villages is believed to be the richest of the six Alaska community development quota organizations.

CDQ feed

Alaska community development quota companies are throwing a big seafood dinner in conjunction with this week's North Pacific Fishery Management Council meeting in Juneau.

Here's the invitation. Notice anything curious?

The Atka tragedy

On June 14, a terrible event occurred on remote Atka Island when a van carrying workers from the Atka Pride Seafoods plant rolled over, killing three and injuring several others.

The driver of the van has since been charged with manslaughter, DUI and other offenses.

Deckboss obtained the charging documents, which describe the tragedy.

Atka Pride Seafoods is a subsidiary of Juneau-based Aleutian Pribilof Island Community Development Association.

The rest of the story

Last week came word that Jeff Kauffman, of Wasilla, had resigned from the International Pacific Halibut Commission and that the Obama administration had appointed Linda Behnken, of Sitka, to replace him.

So why would Kauffman resign?

Well, it seems he was involved in a halibut fishing violation.

The boat named in the case, the F/V Saint Peter, belongs to the Central Bering Sea Fishermen's Association, one of Alaska's community development quota companies.

In its most recent annual report, CBSFA lists Kauffman as a company executive with a salary of $126,951.

Federal enforcement officials initially assessed a civil penalty of $61,781 in the Saint Peter case, which settled for $49,000.

Platinum in play

A reader reports hearing on good authority that the Goodnews Bay processing plant will not open this season.

The plant, located near the remote Western Alaska village of Platinum, belongs to Coastal Villages Region Fund, one of state's community development quota companies.

It was built at a reported cost of $35 million and began operations in the summer of 2009.

Deckboss asked Coastal Villages about its plans for the plant this year and received the following reply from Angie Pinsonneault, director of business development.

Every year we evaluate a number of factors in deciding whether, when, and for how long to open the plant. We are in the midst of that process now. No decisions have been made yet.

MLK and CDQ

Coastal Villages Region Fund evidently feels its quest for larger community development quotas is on a par with the civil rights movement.

Coastal posted this on its Facebook page on Monday, Martin Luther King Jr. Day:

Let us honor the life of Martin Luther King Jr. who peacefully lead the nation for the equal treatment of all American Citizens who want the American Dream. His famous "I Have A Dream" speech was given at the "March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom."

The residents of Coastal Villages are seeking equality in the CDQ program for more jobs and more benefits. While the region we serve has the highest economic impoverished rates, our residents receive among the lowest CDQ allocations per person. Our voices, our votes, and our lives do matter and the US Congress must recognize our efforts for the benefit of many Western Alaskans.

#JustFixCDQ

Sharing the wealth

Coastal Villages Region Fund has approved a second round of funding for its People Propel initiative.

Coastal is an Anchorage-based company operating under the federal Community Development Quota program. It manages commercial fish harvests on behalf of a group of Bering Sea villages in the area of the Kuskokwim River delta.

With People Propel, Coastal offers village residents substantial subsidies for the purchase of boats, motors and nets.

Coastal evidently is doing great, certainly well enough to help buy some outboard boats and fishing gear.

Coastal's executive director, Morgen Crow, drew a $475,000 salary plus a $420,000 bonus in 2012, the company's latest annual report shows.

Six other staffers received in excess of $205,000.

Four fishy items in the new state budget

Gov. Sean Parnell today signed off on a new state budget, and it contains several capital items of interest to the commercial fishing community.

Here are four that Deckboss found especially interesting. Click on each to read a project snapshot.

Yakutat Regional Aquaculture Association, $100,000

ASMI canned salmon, herring and protein powder project, $300,000

Kaltag Traditional Council fish processing plant, $447,308

CDQ fleet homeport project, $10 million