The commission invites public comments on the proposed regulation. The comment period will remain open until Feb. 15 to give the public time to read and consider the report and provide comments and recommendations to the commission with regard to the proposed regulation. If the commission adopts an optimum number that is less than the existing number of permits in the fishery, the commission and participants in the fishery will then have a number of options to explore for consolidating the fleet to bring it within the optimum number determination.
The report's chief plan for reducing the fleet is a fishermen-funded buyback program that would be managed either privately, by the state or by the federal government. It also states that the Alaska Board of Fisheries could continue to consider regulatory proposals that would encourage voluntary fleet consolidation. According to the report, "Some ideas for such regulations do not require an actual reduction in the number of entry permits or changes to laws. Indeed, the Board has already experimented with a voluntary fleet consolidation regulation for the Bristol Bay salmon drift gill net fishery during the 2004 season. Such efforts by the Board may reduce harvesting costs and increase profitability for permit holders, even at existing permit levels."
It continues, "The commission (CFEC) can support the efforts of the Board and the fishing industry to search for alternative ways to encourage fleet consolidation, even if those alternatives are viewed only as temporary interim measures." Copies of the report and instructions for submitting comments can be found on the commission's Web site, www.cfec.state.ak.us, or by contacting CFEC Law Specialist Susan Haymes at Susan_Haymes@ cfec.state.ak.us or at (907) 790-6963.
A major tax change that aids Alaska fishermen gained final passage and is headed to the president's desk for his signature. The new corporate tax bill includes a provision first proposed by the Alaska congressional delegation in 2000 to add fishermen to farmers as taxpayers who can average income over a three-year period to help offset high-income years. The change will help fishermen recover from bad income years, by keeping a bit more of their income in good years, offsetting potentially high tax burdens in isolated windfall years.
U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski stated in a press release, "Fishermen brave bad weather, unpredictable stream conditions and cutthroat global pricing conditions. Theyshouldn't be penalized further by the nation's tax code. Income averaging is fair in that it will help offset the highs and lows in fishing and help fishermen plan for their financial futures."
The change, according to the Congressional Joint Tax Committee, is estimated to potentially save fishermen up to $61 million over the next decade, depending on runs and fish prices. Murkowski said passage of the change is a good principle that she will attempt to expand in the future to help fishermen once they receive money from their Exxon Valdez oil spill settlements. The tax law will still need to be changed so that financial settlements based from fishery damages will be considered as fishing income for purposes of being applicable to income averaging.
The Alaska Region of NOAA Fisheries will conduct public workshops in Seattle and Anchorage to explain proposed regulations for the new crab fishery management program in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands. The workshops, which are open to any interested member of the public, will be held as follows:
Cristy Fry has commercial fished in Homer since 1978, and has also designed and built gear for the industry. She currently longlines for halibut and sablefish, and gillnets salmon in Upper Cook Inlet aboard the F/V Realist.
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