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Business World |
April 2015
112
“On the surface, deck sorting reduces halibut
mortality by quite a bit but it’s not available
all the time,” he explained. “It’s something
that you can only do with certain fisheries
and during certain weather conditions, and
captains have to be able to use their discre-
tion.”
“Captains on these boats have incredible
responsibility – they’re responsible for the
safety of their crews, responsible for making
money, responsible for abiding by a long list
of regulatory compliances, and they’re mak-
ing decisions on what sort of catch they’re
going to get,” Anderson continued. “We’re
a multi-species fishery, and our captains are
trying to maximize the value of each haul
and minimize the amount of halibut they’re
getting. They need to achieve a balance be-
tween every haul in terms of catch composi-
tion. It’s a lot of pressure.”
LONG TERM VIEW
While the AKSC is facing several significant
challenges, Anderson acknowledged that
they are also fortunate to be based where
they are.