A recent survey shows that Alaska fishermen are most concerned about the economic and health impacts of COVID-19 on the state’s fisheries, as well the destruction of habitat from projects like the proposed Pebble Mine.
Alaska-based nonprofit SalmonState conducted the online survey in April and early May to get a better sense of how COVID-19 is affecting fishermen. Prior to the pandemic, the survey turned up that fishermen were most concerned about fish prices, with the proposed Pebble Mine and climate change close behind on the list. With the spread of the coronavirus globally, the top concerns among fishermen shifted to loss of income, spreading COVID-19 in Alaska’s coastal communities, and harmful policy decisions, such as the approval of the proposed Pebble Mine while fishermen are distracted with the pandemic.
SalmonState’s Tyson Fick told SeafoodSource the nearly 800 respondents – from skippers to deckhands to individual fishing quota holders – doubled the number of prior fleet surveys.
The survey turned up that prior to the pandemic, 65 percent of respondents said fish prices were the biggest concern, with the proposed Pebble Mine and climate change close behind.
Fick said he wasn’t surprised to see fishermen’s top concern amidst the pandemic as lost revenue; Over 80 percent of fishermen felt emergency funds would be needed to help make up for income lost to the pandemic. But Fick said habitat protections and global warming remained high on the list.
“Expectedly, people were concerned about prices and income. There was already some market uncertainty, but to see the concern for things like Pebble Mine and other permitting decisions being rushed through at this time was kind of a surprise for me,” Fick told SeafoodSource.
The survey turned up that fishermen planned to address their own bottom-line issues, with more than half saying they would seek additional non-fishing income, while a third said they would scale back crews and fish longer seasons. A quarter of respondents said they would try dock sales or direct marketing. A “notable number" of fishermen said they planned “to take the summer off, sell assets, or sell their fishing business altogether,” according to the report. Nearly 70 percent of respondents said the spread of COVID-19 in Alaska’s coastal communities was among their top concerns.
While around 95 percent of those who chimed in were from Alaska’s salmon fisheries, Fick said the survey had representatives from nearly all gear types and fisheries in Alaska.
“Fishermen can be tough to get a hold of. We do the best we can, and this survey is a valid representation of the sentiment of the people who did respond. These kinds of efforts can be valuable to build some coalition. Having any kind of unified voice has been difficult for such a wide-ranging group of independent business people working in a broad geographic area,” Fick told SeafoodSource.
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