CITY OF HOMER
HOMER, ALASKA
Mayor/Council
A RESOLUTION OF THE HOMER CITY COUNCIL EXPRESSING ITS POSITION REGARDING REGIONALIZATION; AN ALTERNATIVE UNDER CONSIDERATION BY THE NORTH PACIFIC FISHERIES MANAGEMENT COUNCIL AS A METHOD TO ACHIEVE ITS GOALS ON GULF OF ALASKA GROUNDFISH RATIONALIZATION.
WHEREAS, the Homer City Council has expressed its support for the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council’s (NPFMC) Gulf of Alaska (GOA) Groundfish Rationalization goals through the adoption of Resolution 03-142, and
WHEREAS, the Council supports NPFMC efforts to rationalize the fishery because it would promote safety at sea, provide for more effective management of the resource, and promote conservation goals by reducing by-catch and wastage, and
WHEREAS, the Council recently learned that NPFMC is considering an alternative to achieve rationalization goals called regionalization, and
WHEREAS, the regionalization alternative, as proposed, would require captains to deliver fish to the ports they historically delivered to and essentially guarantee that those ports would forever receive all fish caught within a given region that were historically delivered to that port, and
WHEREAS, the City of Homer has a long association with the Gulf of Alaska ground fisheries and the industry has historically been important to the local longline, pot and jig fleets, processors, dock workers, and the community’s economy overall, and
WHEREAS, the city has large investments in fishing industry infrastructure including a high production ice plant, three large docks, a 900+ slip harbor, 24 hour open access cranes, and ample land available for additional processing capacity, and
WHEREAS, the City is well positioned to become further involved in the evolution and development of the fishing industry due to its long history with the industry, prime maritime location, outstanding port and harbor facilities, excellent airport, and location on the National Highway System.
NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED, that the Homer City Council finds that the Regionalization Alternative would present a significant barrier to free trade, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council finds that regionalization will inhibit the industry from operating as efficiently as possible, reduce our competitive position in the world market, stifle innovation and incentives for new small scale processors, and have a negative impact on the goals of attaining the best and highest quality product, and
BE IT FURTHER RESOLVED, that the Council urges the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council to consider the following provisions when it conducts its in-depth studies on the implications and impacts of implementing this alternative.
PASSED AND ADOPTED by a duly constituted quorum of the Homer City Council this 13th day of December, 2004.