CITY OF HOMER

Shadle

HOMER, ALASKA

RESOLUTION 05-117

A RESOLUTION OF THE CITY COUNCIL OF HOMER, ALASKA SUPPORTING INDEPENDENT FISHERMEN AND URGING THAT A THOROUGH ANALYSIS OF THE SOCIAL AND ECONOMIC IMPACTS OF EXCISING SHARE-BASED PROGRAMS IN ALASKA MUST OCCUR PRIOR TO FURTHER USE IN ALASKA ESPECIALLY PROCESSOR QUOTA.

WHEREAS the Homer City Council has an extensive history of supporting independent fishermen, sustainable fishery management and conservation; and

WHEREAS the Constitution of the State of Alaska provides, “fish…are reserved to the people for their common use” and legislation or rules should never be passed that would infringe or dilute the meaning, purpose or rights of that provision but should protect and provide equal opportunity for commercial fishermen to be independent now and into the future; and

WHEREAS the Bering Sea Aleutian Island Crab Individual Fishing Quota (IFQs) system that mandates fishermen by law to deliver their catch to specific processors who have Individual Processor Quota (IPQ) called the “two pie system” is in its first year of implementation; and

WHEREAS the “two pie system” has not resulted in safer working conditions for fishermen or higher prices paid for crab; and

WHEREAS the “two pie system” has resulted in hundreds of direct job losses in the fishing fleet, many of those jobs were based in Homer; and

WHEREAS the “two pie system” has adversely affected the Homer marine trades industry that did repair, equip and supply both the crew and vessels that had participated in the Bering Sea Aleutian Island crab fishery that were based in Homer; and

WHEREAS the North Pacific Fishery Management Council is currently developing regulations for the Gulf of Alaska groundfish that could link fishermen to processors similar to the “two pie system”; and

WHEREAS the Homer City Council supports an eighteen month postponement in any new Individual Fishing Quota (IFQs) system or similar programs either in federal or state managed fisheries until a full and thorough analysis of the social and economic impacts of excising share-based programs in Alaska, especially Individual Processor Quota (IPQs)

NOW THEREFORE BE IT BE RESOLVED by the City Council of Homer, Alaska that this resolution be sent to Governor Murkowski, Senator Ted Stevens, Senator Lisa Murkowski,

State Senator Gary Stevens, Representative Paul Seaton, members of the State House Special Committee on Fisheries, members of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, Commissioner of Alaska Department of Fish and Game McKie Campbell, Alaska Department of Fish and Game Director of Commercial Fisheries Denby Lloyd.

CITY OF HOMER

_____________________________

JAMES C. HORNADAY, MAYOR

ATTEST:

____________________________________

MARY L. CALHOUN, CMC, CITY CLERK

Fiscal note: NA