| ACA Members Greg Sutter, Rex Murphy and Chaco Pearman are members of the Stakeholder's committee |
| Members of ACA have attended ALL North Pacific Management Council meetings where charter issues were part of the agenda since our inception. |
| The IFQ proposal was rescinded in December 2005. Because of this rescission, up to 50% of active charter operators have a chance to remain in business. |
| ACA secured resolutions from over 17 city councils and chambers of Commerce opposing Charter IFQ’s. |
| Our members are involved with North Council Committees (GHL, Stakeholders, etc) |
| Our activities have increased national attention to halibut sport fishing issues and have gained the involvement of several national organizations including RFA, IGFA, and ASA. |
2005 |
| April 2005, ACA Sent Greg Sutter to Washington D.C., where he met with the Director of the Recreational Fishing Alliance, Jim Donofrio, who in turn opened the door to other key meetings. |
| While in Washington D.C., Greg met with Congressional Staff members representing Ted Stevens. These meeting, in turn, led to both senators Stevens and Murkowski sending representatives to Homer to discuss the charter IFQ with members of the business community and the ACA. |
| April 2005: Members Rene’ Cook and Donna Bondioli traveled to Juneau to speak in opposition of the IFQ to the Alaska Travel Industry Association. It resulted in their public opposition to the IFQ proposal. |
| April 2005: ACA members secured and staffed a booth in the Ben Boeke Arena at the Great Alaskan Sportsman Show in Anchorage. Letters opposing the IFQ plan were signed and almost 700 people signed petitions opposing the IFQ. |
| Fall 2005: ACA funded a West Coast “Action Alert” with Recreation Fishing Alliance (RFA), which resulted in awareness of the Alaska Charter IFQ issue. |
| December 9, 2005 IFQ proposal was rescinded. |
2006 |
| February 2006: Rex Murphy and Bryan Bondioli attended NPFMC meeting in Seattle, which brought us new opportunities to network with key people. |
| March 2006: Bill Hogarth invited Bryan Bondioli and Greg Sutter to Washington D.C. This meeting with Washington D.C. policymakers opened avenues of communication regarding specific Alaska issues. |
In June we sent a letter testimony that included the following :
- That the current GHL be updated to reflect 125% of the average harvest of 2000-2004 as an Interim measure until the Long Term Solution becomes effective
- 16.37% for Area 2C and 14.92% for Area 3A (of combined commercial/charter catch limit).
- 1.693 Million lbs for area 2C and 4.011 Million lbs for Area 3A. The GHL should stair-step up and down with abundance. This would allow the Charters to benefit from the rise in abundance that was a benefit to the commercial Fleet.
- The moratorium move forward as an Interim measure until a Long Term Solution is in place.
- That the KACO plan be included for consideration and analysis as a Long Term Solution.
- That a comprehensive Economic Study be completed on Charters and their economic value to the Coastal Communities before action is taken.
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| In December, we testified in favor of a limited moratorium that would sunset in three years, during which time we requested that more accurate data be gathered, and a complete socioeconomic study be completed. We testified that the current GHL was not adequate to meet the recreational charter fishery needs. |
2007 |
| In January, the International Pacific Halibut Commission (IPHC) in Victoria, BC, Canada, passed the one-fish proposal. ACA actively opposed this proposal. |
| Tina McNamee and Rex Murphy represented the ACA in testimony at the IPHC |
| We mounted a large letter writing campaign aimed at the United States Secretaries of State and Commerce to disapprove the IPHC decision. |
| We sent a delegation of ACA that joined other charter interests in Washington DC to lobby against the one-fish decision. |
| All efforts were worthwhile. The Secretaries of State and Commerce refused to approve the one-fish proposal. |
| In February, we testified in support of the moratorium as approved on December 9, 2005, and requested a full socioeconomic study be completed, and that military boats be either included in the moratorium if their catch is in the GHL, or if excluded from the moratorium that their catch be excluded from the GHL, and that CQE community permits, if issued must furnish trips that either originate or terminate in the community of issuance. |
