Southeast’s seafood industry needs to be part of the revised Tongass management plan

By Linda Behnken and Norm Pillen

You cannot talk about Southeast Alaska’s seafood industry without also talking about the Tongass National Forest. The productivity of our region’s sustainable fisheries is heavily dependent on the health of Southeast’s forests and watersheds — the two are inseparable. That’s why it’s alarming to see no mention of Southeast’s commercial fisheries in the U.S. Forest Service’s Notice of Intent to revise its management plan for the Tongass National Forest. Given the Trump Administration’s Executive Order 14276 to restore America’s seafood competitiveness, the Forest Service should align its management of the Tongass with the Administration’s goal to promote our domestic fisheries, including an America First Seafood Strategy.

We’d like to remind state and federal policymakers that the Tongass National Forest produces some of the healthiest protein on the planet, most notably nutrient-dense, high-value wild Pacific salmon. Southeast’s seafood production supports more full-time fishery workers than any other region in Alaska besides the Bering Sea. One-third of Alaska’s fishing fleet is based in Southeast, with residents owning 2,655 fishing vessels. Commercial fishing and seafood processing are among the top employers in the Tongass, in recent years accounting for 15% of regional employment and contributing more than $800 million to Southeast Alaska’s economy. Meanwhile, the timber industry accounts for less than one percent of regional jobs and costs U.S. taxpayers $20.5 million to $33.8 million annually. 

Our region’s seafood abundance is directly tied to the abundance of healthy, intact watersheds and diverse fish habitat. That is why we urge the Forest Service to do its job and manage the Tongass to maintain and restore the natural resources that generate the most value for our region’s communities and support thriving rural economies. 

Acknowledging the value and economic impact of Southeast’s seafood industry in the Forest Service’s revised Tongass management plan would be a great start. Ultimately what we need is for the Forest Service to manage the Tongass so that it maximizes wild fish production and puts fish first. The Forest Service’s own data shows that the Tongass and Chugach National Forests are “fish forests,” producing an average annual commercial harvest of 46 million wild salmon  —  the equivalent of 390 million servings of wild salmon each year; enough to feed everyone in America a delicious, healthy, and sustainable serving of wild salmon. The Tongass’ 5,000 salmon streams and associated waters produce 75% of Southeast Alaska’s salmon harvest. These freshwater ecosystems - and the economic benefits they provide — depend on a healthy Tongass National Forest, including old-growth forests. 

To maximize Southeast’s fish production, we must conserve a diverse portfolio of ecosystems in the Tongass that provide essential fish and wildlife habitat. The physical and biological diversity of Southeast Alaska’s salmon-producing watersheds are globally unique and rely on a large number of intact watersheds with high water quality and productive capacity. This diverse portfolio of intact habitat is what makes Southeast Alaska the second-largest remaining productive salmon system left in the world — the largest being Bristol Bay. The Tongass’ diverse fish habitat portfolio is key to our region’s future stability and resiliency, especially as we experience more dramatic changes in our climate and oceans. 

Lastly, the Forest Service’s revised forest management plan must prioritize restoring access to high-value fish and wildlife habitat throughout the Tongass. Today, there are nearly 1,500 culverts and bridges that fail to meet state or federal standards, impeding access to hundreds of miles of salmon spawning and rearing streams across the Tongass. Restoring this habitat will generate increased revenue for fishing businesses of all types and sizes.

We and thousands of others are deeply invested in Southeast Alaska’s seafood industry because we see tremendous potential in building sustainable, thriving businesses that create real economic opportunity and stability for our local communities. We will only achieve those goals if the Forest Service changes course and adopts a revised management plan for the Tongass that aligns with what Southeast Alaska residents, businesses, and communities truly want and need: the restoration and protection of spawning habitat that results in increased stock levels of wild fish.  

• Linda Behnken, a Sitka resident, is the executive director of the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association and president of the Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust. Norm Pillen is president of the Seafood Producers Cooperative in Sitka and has been an SPC member/owner for over 40 years.