The U.S. House Subcommittee on Fisheries and Oceans will hold an Oversight Hearing on Fisheries Management and Reauthorization at the High School, Commons at 11 a.m. on Friday. State of Alaska officials are also holding a preceeding meeting on fisheries at the same location at 9 a.m.

Timing for Friday’s events, however, is sorely misplaced.

Many skippers, crewmen and boat owners are out fishing, and organizers callously announced this critical event last Thursday. Kodiak businesses and families should rush to the fishermen’s aid and local representatives should stand firm to protect local jobs.

Nothing makes this truer than the recent layoffs resulting from crab rationalization, as over 50 local skippers and crewmen recently lost their jobs, despite promises things would be better with processor shares and co-op linkages. The real resu1t is consolidation of an industry once rightfully belonging to many Alaskans. It’s caused a local economic downturn.

Friday’s federal fishery meeting is “to access the expertise of Alaskans knowledgeable about federal fisheries issues” and to “present information on the state’s current recommendations on the Magnuson-Stevens fishery and Conservation Management Act’s (MSA) reauthorization in the Congress,” according to an announcement on a Web site relating to the subcommittee.

The announcement claims “stakeholder input is being sought for management mechanisms” and regarding “a requirement for strong credible science and a separation between resource assessment and allocation, the Community Development Quota (CDQ) program, federal fishery management plans (FMPs) observer coverage, bycatch reduction, rights-based management, and more.”

How is that possible when a “by invitation only,” witness list does not include key representatives? Such a convenient excuse — everyone is out fishing! Yet, for months fishermen have been asking when they’d have direct input into reauthorizations, with no reply.

Why have Congressman Don Young and Gov. Frank Murkowski let these ill-timed meetings (there was one in Ketchikan on Wednesday) occur? How is this short notice fair to other communities and fleets?

During the recent legislative session Gulf fishermen rushed to protect their rights in state waters from being taken away in a “coordinated rationalization” bill (Senate Bill 113) sponsored by Sen. Ben Stevens. For good reasons, House fisheries held the bill up for the next session. Kodiak fishermen also attended the North Pacific Fishery Management Council’s June meeting to protest Gulf of Alaska Rationalization and corporate conflicts of interest.

Is this retaliation?

Local businesses depend on ex-vessel fish prices paid to fleets across the GOA. In order for a strong regional economy free trade demands that fishermen not fall into price-taking servitude to corporations domiciled elsewhere.

Reauthorization should not include language permitting processor quota shares and linkages to fleet cooperatives, nor directed access privileges and Association-links to overrule limited entry laws. We all have a, stake in protecting the local economy. Please attend and let your voices be heard while your silenced fleets are at sea.

Born and raised in Kodiak, Walter Sargent is lifelong fishermen and owner of two locally-based fishing vessels.