Kodiak will kick off its 27th annual three-day Comfish marine trade fair March 16, with a series of seminars and forums that will include a debate between gubernatorial candidates, an Alaska crab enhancement workshop and updates on the Exxon Valdez oil spill suit.

The “Goober Debate” takes place at 7 p.m. March 16 at the Gerald C. Wilson auditorium, and only fisheries topics will be discussed. The candidates are Ethan Berkowitz (D), John Binkley (R), Eric Croft (D), Andrew Halcro (Independent) and Sarah Palin (R).

Also on the agenda, Alaska Department of Fish and Game Commis-sioner McKie Campbell will anchor a roundtable discussion on Gulf of Alaska groundfish fisheries in state waters from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. March 17 at the Drama Pod. This will be an opportunity to discuss the impacts of federal GOA groundfish fisheries rationalization on state and parallel groundfish fisheries within 3 miles of shore, to share ideas, ask questions and seek clarifications on legal parameters, management and other related issues.

Project coordinator Ed Dersham said that the discussion will focus on possible solutions to the problem of establishing a groundfish rationalization program in state waters, a process that is complicated by the state Constitution’s guarantee of equal access.

“We’re currently looking at some ideas that would be sort of short-term fixes without any additional authority for the Board of Fisheries and the CFEC (Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission),” Dersham explained. “We’re looking at what can we do in the short term under a rationalized gulf with current authority, and then there’s a longer term discussion for what are the potential solutions for the long term, such as limited entry and possibly new authority for the board and CFEC.”

A change of authority for CFEC and BOF would require action by the Legislature, something Dersham doesn’t foresee happening this year.

“Nothing is going to happen legislatively this session, that’s a certainty,” Dersham said. “The Legislature is well tied up with oil and gas issues. Even the more specific problem that was created by the Chignik Co-op decision, what effect that might have on other fisheries in the state, that’s a pretty big question for the Legislature to look at, but I’m pretty sure they’re not going to look at it this session.”

However, solutions are being worked on department-wide, although Dersham was not at liberty to go into detail. “There are a couple of options that have been discussed but I can’t really say much about them because they’re in draft form and going around inside the department,” he said. “I expect that they’ll at least be presented as options by the time we go down to Kodiak.”

Also attending for the Department of Fish and Game will be Denby Lloyd, director of commercial fisheries; Sue Aspelund, fisheries policy special assistant; and Herman Savikko, fisheries management plan coordinator.

A full Comfish schedule and registration information can be found at www.comfishalaska.com.

Cristy Fry has commercial fished in Homer since 1978. She also designs and builds gear for the industry. She currently longlines for halibut and gillnets salmon in upper Cook Inlet aboard the F/V Realist.