The Fisherman

The Alaska fishing industry is huge. 38% of all the seafood caught in the USA is captured in Alaska.  In 2005, the state harvested 1.5 billion dollars worth of fish and seafood from its waters, making the fishing industry one of the largest employers in the state.  In fact, the Alaska fishing industry employs thousands of people in Alaska and in the State of Washington.  Any change made to the quotas will effect the livelihood of thousands of people.  

Today, you will play the part of the captain of a fishing trawler working the Bering Sea out of Dutch Harbor on the Aleutian Islands.  You have a crew of 10 and hope to earn enough to pay for your fuel, fishing permits, equipment, and bait.  Each of your crew share in whatever you make, so they have to be paid as well.  You fish for Pollock, which you sell to processors on Dutch Harbor, Alaska.  

As a fisherman in Alaska, you understand the need for quotas -- after all, what good would it be to have no fish to catch next year!  But as a fisherman in Alaska, you want to make sure that you can catch as many fish as possible. After all, you have to make a living, and you can't afford to loose your job.  You also know that the other large employer in your state, the oil industry, has just had to shut down the states largest oil field, so finding another job will be tough or even impossible.

You think the reductions proposed by NOAA are way too much.  NOAA has suggested reducing the catch to between 600 and 800 thousand pounds.  You think even 800,000 is too low a quota.  You will have to begin to lay off some of your crew and may not be able to stay in business with those kinds of reductions.

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