Members of a federal subsistence board are meeting in Unalaska this week to hear the public’s thoughts on potential changes to fish and shellfish regulations.
Rebecca Skinner chairs the Kodiak and Aleutians regional advisory council of the U.S. Department of the Interior’s Subsistence Management Program. She said members share the public’s passion for subsistence issues and are looking to learn more about local concerns.
“The regulation of fish and wildlife resources, especially in Alaska, is very complex,” Skinner said. “As a council, we understand that, and so we really do try to help guide people — if we can’t help them with the thing they’re concerned about — to the right place.”
The group hopes to tackle a few different topics during their visit but wants to leave the floor open for public comment about issues on or off the agenda. Agenda items include governmental and tribal reports, salmon limits and a presentation on avian flu.
There are a total of ten regional advisory councils in Alaska. Three council members came from Kodiak for this week’s meeting and two already live in Unalaska. Skinner said the council is looking to fill a vacancy.
“We are always looking for and encouraging people to apply to be on the RAC and a good way to get a sense for what that entails is to come out to meetings,” Skinner said.
The public meetings will be held at the Unalaska Public Library, Sept. 4-6 and start at 9 a.m. Participants can join in person or via teleconference.
