ComFish, Alaska’s largest fisheries industry trade show, approaches its 29th year in Kodiak at a new venue and new time: April 23 through the 25 in the downtown Kodiak Harbor Convention Center.

After Monday afternoon’s ComFish planning committee meeting, Debora King, executive director of the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce, said that the final details of Kodiak’s event are still being worked out. However, she said this year’s change away from a March spring break date would be advantageous because it would not conflict with participants’ spring travel times with families — a prime reason some didn’t come in the past, she said.

She also said having the venue downtown instead of at the high school could help the local businesses with the added foot traffic.

“People will be milling around. We’re hoping they take advantage of the restaurants in the area.”

The theme for ComFish 2009 is Alaska’s 50 years of fishing as a state. Planners for this year’s trade show also hope to add a new element.

“We would like to see more entertainment, more engagement with the community … we want to see people not only informed, but entertained.”

This could include showcasing local business’ products in combination with a maritime-themed art show; coordinating activities with WhaleFest, the concurrent celebration of the Eastern Pacific gray whales’ return; and even a “fishermen’s rodeo” competition of events like net repair, knot tying and quickly climbing in survival suits.

Like in previous years, ComFish 2009 will feature a town hall-style meeting with Alaska Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Denby Lloyd and various seminars and forum topics.

King said possible panel topics include fishing industry threats, like mining and drilling; energy efficiency, with speakers from the Kodiak Electric Association and Alaska Energy Authority; the effects of ocean acidification; and the efforts to collect employment data on fishing industry crewmembers for demographic and data-collecting purposes.

The changed date also will allow Kodiak High School students to attend or participate, said King.

King said she could not estimate whether there will be more or fewer vendors this year in comparison to last year, but said the difficult economic conditions nationwide could certainly have an effect.

“We’ll do our best to promote the event and make it valuable and worthwhile for people to want to come,” King said.