The opinion piece, “For Alaska, federal fisheries updates cannot come too soon,” was a refreshing, candid and accurate assessment of the amount of waste caused by the federal trawl fisheries. It is remarkable that representatives from the subsistence, commercial and sports fishing sectors wholeheartedly agreed on the need to restrain the trawl fleet’s harvest and subsequent waste of protective species, i.e., mostly salmon and halibut. Normally, those three sectors cannot agree to “kill a rat in a tub,” metaphorically speaking.
It is wrong that the federal council charged with managing the trawl fisheries is made up predominantly of individuals from the trawl industry. Talk about the fox being in charge of the hen house.
It’s time for our congressional delegation to start making waves and insist on a balanced council with diverse representation.
— Karl Johnstone
Anchorage
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