Feds & Fish
There’s a lot about to change at the federal level as America barrels toward swearing in a new President. In ways direct and indirect, the change will have a big impact on commercial fishing. Nothing federal happens overnight, of course, but I expect some different currents under Alaska's fleet.
We'll almost certainly see a different approach to Pebble, with significantly more concern for protecting crucial fish habitat. The Biden-Harris administration will also likely unfreeze visas for overseas workers, making it easier to staff seasonal fish processing plants. Those changes will hit pretty fast.
Tariff policy will also evolve, albeit more slowly. America's relationship with China will likely thaw some, making it easier to send Alaska fish there. I'd expect the opposite for Russia, in a roundabout way. President-Elect Biden’s approach to Russia will likely focus more on the traditional approaches of sanctions and tariffs in response to Russian aggression in Eastern Europe. That's likely to impact the amount of Russian salmon and crab that have been undercutting Alaska seafood prices globally.
I’ll keep my eye on these federal issues as we continue looking at state fish policy. There's nothing indirect about a slanted slate of Board of Fish nominees or the threat of budget cuts so deep they'd mean shorter seasons and fewer fish in the supermarkets. Those things would take dollars directly out of the pockets of the hundreds and hundreds of commercial fishing households in our district.
