The measure, House Bill 125 was introduced by District 38 Representative Nellie Unangiq Jimmie and cosponsored by Representative Foster, Kopp, and Burke.
“What this bill (does) I see as bringing as equal voice to the table for subsistence users, not only in my district but in rural Alaska and all of Alaska. I see this as a positive step forward to bringing sustainability to the fisheries for subsistence users as well,” Rep. Jimmie said at a hearing committee Tuesday of the House Fisheries Committee.
We have seen a long-standing imbalance on the Board of Fisheries. Currently, the Board of Fisheries does not reflect the full range of Alaskans who rely on our fisheries. Of the seven seats, five are held by individuals with commercial fishing backgrounds. Only one represents subsistence interests. This imbalance has real consequences. The Board makes decisions that impact the future of our fisheries, yet the people who rely on subsistence fishing, the people most affected by these decisions, barely have a voice.
HB 125 would fix a long-standing imbalance by ensuring that the board includes fair representation: two seats for subsistence, one for the scientific community, two for commercial fishing, and two for sport fishing. This balance is important because it means all perspectives will be considered, not just those of the commercial industry.
Salmon is more than just food for many of us, it’s part of who we are. For thousands of years, we have relied on salmon for survival here in the Yukon-Kuskokwim region. Unlike those who can buy fish at the store, we depend on subsistence harvests to feed our families. But salmon populations are at historic lows. Runs on the Yukon and Kuskokwim Rivers have collapsed, leading to complete bans on subsistence fishing in some areas. When that happens, our families face more than just food shortages, we lose traditions that have been passed down for generations. Our identity is at risk.
Rising temperatures, permafrost thaw, bycatch, and changing ocean conditions threaten our salmon populations. Indigenous Knowledge and Scientific Knowledge together can help us adapt, but we need fair representation on the Board to share that knowledge. HB 125 acknowledges the need for data-driven decisions. And HB 125 will lead to better decisions and stronger fish populations in the future.
I urge lawmakers to pass HB 125 and give Alaska Native communities a real say in decisions that affect us. Our fish, our traditions, and our way of life depend on it.
Moses Owen
Speaker, Yukon-Kuskokwim Regional Tribal Government
Chief, Akiak Native Community
Home Country
There’s something so satisfying about getting out of bed when the world is still dark and quiet and resting. Making the coffee gives us time to scratch and think. Well, scratch, anyway. Most of that thinking will start after about the third cup of coffee.
But it’s a quiet time. A private time. When the world is dark, and there isn’t yet a hint of pink over the eastern mountains, it’s very good. We can relax. No one is expecting anything from us right now. Our guilt can take some time off, and we can listen to music or work a crossword puzzle or turn on the TV and watch the weather guy discuss millibars and troughs.
Soon enough, we’ll have to be out there living for others: our bosses, our customers, our animals, our fields. But right now no one needs us except the dog, and she does well on kibbles and an ear rumple.
We can look out the window at the eastern glow and wonder what will happen in the hours until our world turns dark again. People will be born and people will die. People will win honors and people will go to jail. People will create things today that live past them and people will disappear forever. Some people will write about these things and other people will read about these things.
And then the world will go dark on us again and we’ll think about what happened in our tiny portion of this huge moving amalgam and hopefully we’ll sleep easily tonight. Then, when we arise tomorrow and head for the coffee pot, we can think about what happened today, and how it has made us slightly different for taking on the next tomorrow.
Come to us, Daylight. Bring us the new day. But do it gently, please, and slowly enough for one more cup.
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Brought to you by the novella Whimsy Castle. Love comes in all forms. At bookstores now.
Slim Randles
Home Country
Albequerque, NM