the fish are disappearing...... Yesterday my curiosity got to me and I went on line to watch The Alaska Board of Fisheries ( BOF ) meeting as they do every three years to set management plans to supposedly maintain healthy fisheries for the use of the people. It's an amazingly open to the public process where proposals are considered for all and any groups or individuals who submit them .....and it's agonizingly dysfunctional . When I stopped in on the meeting the days of public testimony were over and the BOF was hearing from anybody that had anything new to say. Well, it was ugly Howard ! I thought I was in a time warp. The same ol same ol people telling the same ol same ol story of what's best for them and not the Salmon.
When I served on the Governors transition teams there was talk of creating a full time paid professional fish board . When the BOF got caught vote trading in the early 80's there was talk of creating a full time professional fish board . When, well dare I say, no I won't , but when certain individuals were appointed to the BOF through the years the obvious advocacy and conflicted interest of these people cried out for reform . It hasn't happened ....
Everyone knows the Kenai King Salmon are failing. Now they argue over dozens of dead fish when they used to argue and fight over thousands. It's been well over ten years that rules have changed to try and get more Kings to spawn. Closures , no opportunity, spawning goals and sonar counts going down and down...and yet...they want to and expect to keep fishing. So it's this simple : the same people who helped set the plans that ain't solved the problem continue to be the ones whose counsel is collected to fix the problem. They cocktail after meeting hours, they're on first name basis, the BOF understands their language because they're ALL commercial users , the coyotes are in charge of the hen house...and always have been.
It's should be obvious that this traditional BOF system only works for abundant and flourishing fisheries, which the State is running out of. SO, rather than another plan maybe we should be revising the planning process itself. In fact , I'm pretty certain of that . So here's one of the lists that you know I like, suggestions to fix the fixers . Fish like this hen that Mike caught are the deal, we gotta keep them...
1. The Alaska Native community must always have a seat or seats on the 7 member BOF.
2. All BOF and especially BOF Advisory Board members can only serve one two terms and a review of their performance should be done before the 2nd term.
3. The BOF will not appoint ' committees ' during meetings . Why ? because the same ol, same ol , people end up on the committees.
4. Public input through testimony will be given once. I don't care who you are or who you think you are , you get to speak once . If advocacy groups ' stack ' their members testimony and it appears as a presentation to the BOF it will not be allowed.
5. BOF members during the deliberation phase of the meeting will not dine or drink with meeting attendees.
6. BOF members will not vote on any fisheries issues in any fishery that they hold permits or business licenses in or that their families do. They are also excluded from speaking to any proposals that they or their families have an interest in, both in public and in private.
7. The BOF when taking testimony will give extra attention and time to young people.
8. Some how Common sense must be applied...these tenets should be incorporated always just as allocation criteria is applied before deciding who gets what and why.
A. All mixed stock fisheries will be managed for sustainability of the least numerical of the stocks.
B. Over escapement does not exist . There is no such thing as to many fish.
C. When there are no fish there will be no fishing.
D. All fisheries will be managed with the goal of targeted harvest only. There is NO acceptable
by - catch .
E. The most important fish is still the one that ends up on Alaskan's table. And, the only time who
came first matters is when talking of the Native / Village communities who should always have a preference.
F. Trust the math. Keep it simple . Make it understandable .
G. Good Luck...
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