Who needs a lobbyist?

The Alaska Legislature begins a new session on Jan. 17.

As usual, some fishing industry players are keenly interested in events in Juneau and have hired lobbyists to follow — or push — the action.

We mined the Alaska Public Offices Commission database to compile this list of employers, their lobbyists, and the fees they'll pay this year.

Alaska Salmon Aquaculture Alliance, Confluence Strategies, $60,000

At-sea Processors Association, Legislative Consultants, $40,000

City of Unalaska, Dianne Blumer, $71,000

Pacific Seafood Processors Association, Legislative Consultants, $60,000

Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corp., Confluence Strategies, $45,000

Purse Seine Vessel Owners' Association, Confluence Strategies, $35,000

Trident Seafoods Corp., Strategy North Group, $60,000

United Fishermen of Alaska, Tracy Welch, $85,000 (annual wage)

Who needs a lobbyist?

Now that the Alaska Legislature has launched a new session, Deckboss decided to take a dive into state records to see who is employing a lobbyist this year.

A group called the Alaska Salmon Hatchery Alliance is paying power lobbyist Kent Dawson an annual fee of $60,000.

Records indicate the alliance includes the Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corp., the Valdez Fisheries Development Association, the Northern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, the Southern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association, Douglas Island Pink and Chum Inc., the Cook Inlet Aquaculture Association, and the Kodiak Regional Aquaculture Association.

Here are some other fisheries organizations employing help in Juneau. We list the lobbyist or lobbying firm, and their fees.

• Pacific Seafood Processors Association, Legislative Consultants, $60,000

• Ocean Beauty Seafoods, Reed Stoops, $45,000

• Groundfish Forum, James Lottsfeldt, $42,000

• APICDA Joint Ventures, Jerry Reinwand, $40,000

• At-sea Processors Association, Legislative Consultants, $40,000

• Purse Seine Vessel Owners, Kent Dawson, $35,000

• Yukon Delta Fisheries Development Association, John Walsh, $35,000

• Bristol Bay Economic Development Corp., John Walsh, $20,000

Fishing for favor in Juneau

Now that we're well into the legislative session, Deckboss thought it would be interesting to check the Alaska Public Offices Commission lobbyist directory to see who has fishy business in the state capital.

My search turned up quite a few seafood interests employing lobbyists this year. Here's the list:

• Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers
• APICDA Joint Ventures
• Armstrong-Keta Inc.
• Bristol Bay Economic Development Corp.
• Coastal Villages Region Fund
• Cordova District Fishermen United
• Groundfish Forum
• Kenai Peninsula Fishermen's Association
• Northwest Farm Credit Services
• Ocean Beauty Seafoods LLC
• Pacific Seafood Processors Association
• Prince William Sound Aquaculture Corp.
• Purse Seine Vessel Owners' Association
• Southeast Alaska Seiners Association
• Southern Southeast Regional Aquaculture Association
• United Southeast Alaska Gillnetters
• Yukon Delta Fisheries Development Association

Some of these interests evidently see a strong need for a Juneau lobbyist, based on the sums they're spending.

For example, APICDA Joint Ventures is paying its lobbyist, Jerry Reinwand, a $60,000 annual fee.

The Purse Seine Vessel Owners' Association is paying Kent Dawson $50,000, and Ocean Beauty Seafoods is paying Reed Stoops $45,000.

Bob Thorstenson Jr. remains the king crab of Juneau fish lobbyists. He's pulling down a total of $155,000 from four clients — Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers, Armstrong-Keta, the Kenai Peninsula Fishermen's Association and the Southeast Alaska Seiners Association.

The battle for scallops in Juneau

Alaska has a small but lucrative fishery for weathervane scallops, a sweet and extra plump variety.

The scallops are taken from beds in federal and state waters, with the majority of the catch coming from the federal side.

A cumbersome system of federal licenses and state permits limit entry in the fishery.

The handful of scallop participants want to keep the gate closed, and are trying to push through legislation in Juneau this session to extend limited entry in state waters for another five years at least.

The bill that's advanced the farthest is Senate Bill 54. Click the Documents button to read letters for and against.

This is a controversial issue, for a couple of reasons. First, the state scallop permits attach to vessels, not people as in the salmon, herring and other fisheries. That rubs some people the wrong way.

Second, some believe the scallop fishery is too concentrated in the hands of a very few persons or corporations.

Here's a report from within the state Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission. It lays out what look like strategic business moves to consolidate control of the harvest.

Above all, scallop players don't want to see state limited entry expire after this year. This would allow the state waters to revert to open access, and would be bad for the fishery overall, in the view of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council.

At least three lobbyists are working on behalf of the Alaska Scallop Association, a fishery cooperative.

They include Frank Homan, a former CFEC commissioner, who has reported a fee of $12,000; Gerald McCune, $5,000; and Bob Thorstenson Jr., $5,000.