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HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 26
IN THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA
THIRTY-THIRD LEGISLATURE - SECOND SESSION
BY REPRESENTATIVES VANCE, McCabe, Rauscher
Introduced: 2/20/24
Referred: House Special Committee on Fisheries, Resources
A RESOLUTION
1 Urging the expansion of state jurisdiction over coastal water.
2 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:
3 WHEREAS the state, guided by its constitution, is committed to promoting the
4 settlement of land and the development of resources in alignment with public interest; and
5 WHEREAS art. VIII, sec. 1, Constitution of the State of Alaska, declares the state's
6 policy to encourage land settlement and resource development in the public interest; and
7 WHEREAS art. VIII, sec. 2, Constitution of the State of Alaska, mandates the
8 legislature to provide for the use, development, and conservation of all natural resources,
9 including land and water, for the maximum benefit of its people; and
10 WHEREAS art. VIII, sec. 3, Constitution of the State of Alaska, emphasizes the
11 preservation of fish, wildlife, and water in their natural state for common use by the people;
12 and
13 WHEREAS art. VIII, sec. 4, Constitution of the State of Alaska, underscores the use,
14 development, and maintenance of replenishable resources on the sustained yield principle;
15 and
16 WHEREAS art. VIII, sec. 5, Constitution of the State of Alaska, empowers the
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1 legislature to provide facilities and services for greater use, development, reclamation, and
2 settlement of land, and for fisheries, wildlife, and water; and
3 WHEREAS the resilient people of the state are willing and able to safeguard the
4 coastline; and
5 WHEREAS the coastal water of the state is deeply ingrained in the state's culture and
6 identity; and
7 WHEREAS the people of the state believe that local management of resources is
8 better than from well-meaning experts in a distant capitol; and
9 WHEREAS fishing is a cornerstone of the state's economy, serving as the largest
10 private-sector employer; and
11 WHEREAS the state is a global leader and sets the gold standard for fisheries
12 management; and
13 WHEREAS the fishing families of the state, who pass down responsible practices
14 through generations, are the heart and soul of the seafood industry; and
15 WHEREAS the state is the leading seafood producer in the United States,
16 contributing two-thirds of the nation's wild seafood harvest; and
17 WHEREAS the seafood industry directly employs over 62,000 workers, with more
18 than 27,000 being state residents, surpassing any other private sector industry in the state; and
19 WHEREAS the seafood industry generated over $163,000,000 in revenue for state
20 and local governments; and
21 WHEREAS the seafood industry annually ships approximately 1,000,000,000 pounds
22 of finished product southbound; and
23 WHEREAS the seafood industry contributed $15,000,000,000 in economic output
24 and nearly 100,000 jobs nationally; and
25 WHEREAS the present three nautical mile limit for fisheries management jurisdiction
26 limits the state's ability to adequately protect and manage seafood resources as outlined in the
27 constitution; and
28 WHEREAS a 15 nautical mile limit would enhance management, enforcement, and
29 jurisdiction control, ensuring the protection of resources and the maximization of returns for
30 the state's commercially harvested seafood;
31 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the National Oceanic
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1 Atmospheric Administration Fisheries to extend the fisheries management jurisdiction from
2 the existing three nautical mile limit to a 15 nautical mile limit; and be it
3 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature calls on the state
4 government to collaborate with the Alaska Congressional delegation to facilitate the
5 expansion of jurisdiction over coastal water.
6 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Joseph R. Biden, President
7 of the United States; and the Honorable Kamala D. Harris, Vice President of the United States
8 and President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Gina Raimondo, United States Secretary of
9 Commerce; the Honorable Richard W. Spinrad, Ph.D., United States Under Secretary of
10 Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and National Oceanic and Atmospheric
11 Administration Administrator; Janet Coit, Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National
12 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; the Honorable Doug Vincent-Lang, Commissioner,
13 Department of Fish and Game; and the Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the Honorable Dan
14 Sullivan, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Mary Peltola, U.S. Representative, members of
15 the Alaska delegation in Congress.
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