Criticism was leveled against the city’s fishery consultant, leaving Kodiak City Council members wondering why they were not told of congressional action to amend the Magnuson-Stevens Fisheries Act and authorizes an extension of the rockfish pilot program.

The issue arose at the City Council’s Thursday meeting when Shawn Dochtermann, vice president of the Alaska Jig Association and a member of the Alaska Independent Fishermen’s Marketing Association, voiced opposition to the amendment.

“It is shocking to learn that Joe Sullivan, the city’s fishery attorney-consultant, failed to inform you in his recent report on the MSA (amendment) reauthorization of this most critical issue facing us today,” Dochtermann said.

Sullivan Tuesday presented the City Council at its work session with a fishery report on issues of rationalization he said it would want to address before the North Pacific Fishery Management Council’s December meeting.

The City Council and the Kodiak Island Borough Assembly are expected to meet in a joint session prior to the meeting to address rationalization issues.

Sullivan, who was unavailable for comment today, did not mention the rockfish program.

Other Kodiak citizens were present before the City Council at its Thursday regular meeting also wondering why the council has not been informed.

Council members also expressed concern.

“I am extremely concerned Sullivan did not bring this to us,” councilman David Woodruff said.

He also questioned whether local lawyer and lobbyist for the city, Brad Gillman, is “representing us the way he should.”

Dochtermann pointed out Gillman has served as both a lobbyist for the Alaska Groundfish Data Bank, Inc. and the city, “and I wonder if Kodiak’s public is being properly represented.”

“And I seriously wonder if all city attorneys are properly informing you, at all times.

“I know that we at the Alaska Jig Association are not informed, because like you, we also find it extremely difficult to obtain congressional documents needed to make the right decisions,” Dochtermann said.

Dochtermann said the rockfish program is neither a pilot program nor a demonstration program. “

It is intended to give the members of those associations superior rights and to set a precedence for their use of gulf rockfish for low valued purposes.”

Dochtermann was referring to the Data Bank and Alaska Draggers Association.

“If the taking of this fish by trawlers merely leads to massive destruction of these long-lived species, simply to go to Bio Dry and be made into meal for farmed salmon or other uses, it harms our fishing grounds and our wild salmon markets too,” Dochtermann said.

Stephen Taufen, who described himself as representing the Groundswell Fisheries Movement, also criticized Sullivan for not informing the city.

He also presented the council with a letter from Robert Alverson, spokesman for the Fishing Vessel Owners’ Association in Seattle, urging the council not to take action that would allow the city to buy halibut individual fish quotas (IFQs)

“The current design of the halibut-sablefish program is to promote individual fishermen ownership of the resource. A tax-exempt municipality will only increase the cost of entry into this fishery,” Alverson said referring to a program suggested in Petersburg, “without the knowledge of their fishermen.”

The City Council also received a letter from Oleg Nikitenko, president and chief executive officer of Global Seafoods North America LLC, Bellevue, Wash., taking Sullivan to task for not informing the council.

“Sullivan completely left out the most important item currently facing Kodiak,” he said.

He said the Data Bank and Alaska Draggers have been lobbying Congressmen Don Young and Richard Pombo of California to extend the rockfish program from its current short-term two years to five years.

“This is no small oversight. It would guarantee the economic winners. This would harm our business and other employers in Kodiak,” Nikitenko said.

“We appreciate the statements by representatives of the fishery industry. These are very important issues, and we need to address them,” City Mayor Carolyn said.

“Last spring, we went to Washington, D.C., and asked they not add or delete things without the council knowing,” Councilman Tom Walters said.

“We need to find out what Sullivan and Gillman know. They need to inform us. This should be left for public comment and not changed by people in Washington,” Walters said.

Mirror writer Bryan Martin can be reached via e-mail at bmartin@kodiakdailymirror.com.