History: Background
In 1979, western Alaska commercial fisheries leaders established the Bering Sea Fishermen's Association to give the subsistence and commercial fishermen a voice in the sustainability and development of Bering Sea and western Alaska fishery resources. And what a voice it has become. Looking back on the days of the initial organizational meeting, it is hard to believe all that the BSFA has accomplished in such a relatively short period of time. There have been many challenges and BSFA has been there to respond to them. But, BSFA has done more than respond, it has played a leading, and critical, role in ensuring that western Alaska fishermen are in control of their own future.
A short list of successes over the past twenty-five years, in which BSFA played a significant role, includes:
- Establishment of the Community Development Quota Program with Harold Sparck that launched six CDQ corporations with current combined revenues of over $300M.
- Establishment of the Community Development Quota Program with Harold Sparck that launched six CDQ corporations with current combined revenues of over $300M.
- Development of U.S. Coast Guard surveillance to guard against foreign high seas piracy activity in the Bering Sea.
- Development of herring fisheries in western Alaska.
- Development of commercial halibut fisheries for western Alaska through the International Pacific Halibut Commission.
- Elimination of the high seas driftnet interception of western Alaskan salmon in the Bering Sea and North Pacific Ocean.
- Founded various fisheries research and coordinating programs and non-profits including:
- Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim Sustainable Salmon Initiative
- Yukon River Drainage Fisheries Association
- Norton Sound Salmon Research and Restoration Program
- Bristol Bay Buy-back Coalition
- Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim Coalition
- Establishment of the king salmon saving areas in the Bering Sea and other salmon bycatch reduction measures.
- Creation of the Alaska Board of Fish Regional Advisory Committees.
- Construction of the Quinhagak fish processing plant; as well as cold storage facilities in Tununak, Mekoryuk, and Toksook Bay.