ANCHORAGE, AK – Coastal Villages Region Fund has reached an agreement with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to help fund its fisheries research activities in Western Alaska this summer. The fund will provide up to $92,152 to support the operation of weirs on the Goodnews Bay and Kanektok rivers.
The purpose of the weirs is to provide state researchers with the opportunity to monitor salmon escapement and collect data that will inform decision making. In addition, the fund will likely continue providing funding to the Native Village of Kwinhagak, the Kuskokwim Native Association, and the Takotna Tribal Council to support their weir operations.
“Strong science is the foundation of any healthy fishery, and is key to both the Bering Sea fisheries and to our local fisheries where hundreds of residents participate in the commercial harvest of salmon,” said the organization’s executive director, Morgen Crow. “CVRF is proud to continue its support of science-based fisheries management in Western Alaska.”
Since 2010, CVRF has given $792,943 in funding to the Kuskokwim Native Association, the Native Village of Kwinhagak, the Takotna Tribal Council, and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game to support the operation of weir projects throughout the region. This year’s budget for Fish and Game will push the total funding to more than $885,000.
“Private sector support for programs like this will become increasingly important as the state deals with a historic budget crisis that threatens its ability to fund projects across rural Alaska,” said Richard Jung, president of the board of directors. “CVRF is happy to play a role in helping the Alaska Department of Fish and Game maintain its weir program in this time of fiscal uncertainty.”
“It’s important to remember that the money CVRF uses to fund projects comes directly from our fishing operations in the Bering Sea,” Jung continued. “Whether it’s providing scholarships, job opportunities, or helping to maintain critical weir operations such as these, everything we do at CVRF depends on a sustainable harvest of pollock, crab, cod, and other important species. The Community Development Quota program has provided a mechanism for the Bering Sea fishery to support communities across Alaska’s Western coast, and we look forward to giving back to the state and our region for generations to come.”
CVRF is a 501(c)(4) Alaska non-profit corporation whose 20 member villages are along the West Coast of Alaska from Scammon Bay to Platinum. CVRF is believed to be the largest Alaskan-owned seafood company in history and is governed by a 20-member Board of Directors elected by the residents of its 20 member communities.
