Tag Archives: looming shutdown
Fishermen watch, wait, work, while Alaska Legislature in limbo
An Alaska government shutdown is a fisheries shutdown. Commercial, sport, gillnet, dipnetters and subsistence fishing would all be impacted in devastating ways if a fiscal year 2018 budget isn’t approved by the Alaska Legislature by July 1. United Fishermen of Alaska, which represents 33 Alaska commercial fishing organizations, is taking the stance that people should “work on the season,” said President Jerry McCune. “As it gets closer to the deadline, we’ll get more worried and put the pressure on the Legislature to fund Fish and Game at least, if they’re not coming up with a budget,” he said. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s 2018 fiscal year budget of $200.16 million was agreed upon by both the House and the Senate in April. Of that, commercial fisheries were allotted $70.77 million. click here to read the story 11:34
