U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski yesterday addressed the Alaska Legislature. In her
written remarks, she had the following to say regarding fisheries.
Our fisheries ... remain in crisis. When salmon runs collapse, it threatens the food security, culture and ways of life of so many Alaskans.
The reality is that these declines cannot be attributed to one factor alone. There is no silver bullet to solve this complex problem. But when faced with causes beyond our immediate control, like climate change, it is understandable why the discourse focuses on what we can
control: bycatch.
Don't get me wrong, there is more we can do to reduce bycatch, and we should do it. An example is Sen. Sullivan's Bycatch Reduction and Research Act, which I am cosponsoring. But we should also be cautious about demonizing one sector of Alaska's fisheries at a time
when we need to work together to find solutions.
Commercial fishing provides good jobs and is the economic backbone of dozens of coastal communities. And while it is easy and often appropriate to point fingers at Seattle, we have to remember that many Alaska towns and villages are suffering after losing their fleets and
processing plants. Life isn't necessarily better without them.
We need sound science because that is the foundation of sound management. We need constructive dialogue that respects the needs of communities upriver while recognizing the benefits of industry. And we need to focus on what unites us so we can conserve and responsibly harvest one of our most precious, irreplaceable resources.
