Arne Fuglvog's new career

Deckboss is sure you recall the sad story of Arne Fuglvog, who served prison time last year for a federal commercial fishing violation.

Fuglvog's legal troubles forced him to resign as fisheries aide to U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska.

Prior to joining Murkowski's staff, Fuglvog helped regulate Alaska fisheries as a member of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council.

Well, now that he's a free man, Fuglvog has taken up a new career as a lobbyist.

He's registered Coastal Resource Strategies LLC in Washington state.

According to the Center for Responsive Politics, which tracks lobbying activity, Fuglvog's firm has four clients: Aleutian Spray Fisheries, Blue North Fisheries, Fishermen's Finest and Glacier Fish.

These are all well-known fishing companies operating in Alaska.

Legislature lavishes aquaculture industry with cash

Alaska is a state flush with billions of dollars in surplus oil revenue.

So it’s not unusual to see our legislators spend a good chunk of that money every year on capital projects — everything from road improvements to research equipment to artificial turf for high school football fields.

Deckboss reviewed the new capital budget the Legislature passed April 15 and couldn’t help but notice the sizeable sums awarded to the state’s hatchery operators, as well as shellfish growers.

Hatcheries are a huge factor in Alaska’s “wild” salmon harvests. The hatcheries pump millions of baby fish into the ocean, many to return as adult salmon that sustain commercial fleets and processors.

Legislators tend to notice industries employing thousands of people, so it’s no surprise to see some serious hatchery love in the capital budget.

It also helps to have a persuasive lobbyist in Juneau.

The Cordova-based Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corp., one of the state’s biggest hatchery operators, employed two lobbyists this year for a combined $75,000, state records show.

Another hatchery operator, Juneau-based Armstrong-Keta Inc., employed a lobbyist for $30,000, and the Ketchikan-based Southern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association paid its lobbyist $15,000.

Anyway, here is a list of aquaculture items compiled from the capital budget bill, which is headed to the governor for his signature — and for possible line item vetoes.

• Southern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association — hatchery equipment and deferred maintenance, $455,000

• Crystal Lake Hatchery — deferred maintenance, $650,000

• Metlakatla Indian Community — design and construction of chum hatchery, $500,000

• Metlakatla Indian Community — net pens and hatchery improvements, $150,000

• Prince Of Wales Hatchery Association — hatchery equipment replacements and upgrades, $475,000

• Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association — Hidden Falls Salmon Hatchery, $1,237,000

• Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association — Medvejie Hatchery maintenance and facility improvements, $900,000

• Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association — Haines/Skagway spawning channels, $620,000

• Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corp. — Cannery Creek Hatchery, $5,263,000

• Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corp. — Main Bay Hatchery, $864,000

• Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association — Trail Lakes Hatchery, $1,025,000

• Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association — Tutka Bay Hatchery, $699,000

• Alutiiq Pride Shellfish Hatchery, $460,000

• Kachemak Shellfish Mariculture Association — oyster remote setting facility, $60,000

• Kodiak Regional Aquaculture Association — Kitoi Bay Hatchery, $1,550,000

• Kodiak Regional Aquaculture Association — Pillar Creek Hatchery, $909,000

• Alaskan Shellfish Growers Association — shellfish industry technical assistance grants, $30,000

For a map of hatchery locations around the state, click here.

Hired help in Juneau

Me and Bob T. in the Capitol. No, he doesn't lobby for Deckboss.

After this week, the Alaska Legislature will move into the last half of its 90-day session.

Time for all those Juneau lobbyists to earn their keep.

Which has me wondering: Who in Alaska's seafood industry needs a lobbyist?

Deckboss analyzed the new lobbyist directory from the Alaska Public Offices Commission and identified 20 businesses or nongovernmental organizations paying for lobbying services this year:

• Alaska Crab Coalition
• Alaska Scallop Association
• Alaska Seine Boat Owners Association
• Armstrong-Keta Inc.
• Bristol Bay Economic Development Corp.
• Douglas Island Pink & Chum Inc.
• F/V Pamela Rae Inc.
• Icicle Seafoods Inc.
• Icy Strait Seafoods Inc.
• Ocean Beauty Seafoods LLC
• OceansAlaska
• Pacific Seafood Processors Association
• Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corp.
• Rozema Boat Works
• Sitka Herring Group
• Southeast Alaska Regional Dive Fisheries Association
• Southern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association
• United Fishermen of Alaska
• United Southeast Alaska Gillnetters
• Yukon Delta Fisheries Development Association

You might notice the list includes several hatchery operators, who birth and partially raise a large percentage of Alaska's "wild" salmon.

One of them, in fact, the Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corp., is spending the most of anyone on the list — $48,000 split between two lobbyists, Kate Tesar and Ian Fisk.

The top fish lobbyist, judging by his tally of clients and fees, is Bob Thorstenson Jr. He represents seven of the listed organizations: the Alaska Crab Coalition; the Alaska Scallop Association; the Alaska Seine Boat Owners Association; Armstrong-Keta Inc., which runs a hatchery southeast of Sitka; Rozema Boat Works of Mount Vernon, Wash.; the Sitka Herring Group; and the Southeast Alaska Regional Dive Fisheries Association.

Thorstenson, a commercial salmon seiner, reports he'll bag $95,500 in lobbying fees this year.