April 9, 2026

Head of NOAA Fisheries to address ComFish 2026 in Kodiak

Margaret Bauman

Guest Author:

NOAA Fisheries’ Eugenio Piñeiro Soler will deliver an update at the 2026 ComFish Alaska forum in Kodiak. Photo courtesy of ComFish Alaska Facebook

NOAA Fisheries assistant administrator of fisheries Eugenio Pineiro Soler is among the federal and state speakers on tap to address ComFish Alaska 2026 in Kodiak from April 16-18.

Soler, who has worked in fisheries management for 30 years, is scheduled to deliver a video presentation during a forum on April 17, summarizing updates in federal fisheries management, followed by a recorded presentation from Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska.

Sen. Dan Sullivan and Rep. Nick Begich, both R-Alaska, are to speak via Zoom video on the first day of ComFish, an annual gathering for federal and state fisheries forums and a trade show.

Bob Foy, science and research director of the NOAA's Alaska Fisheries Science Center, is to lead off the forums at the Kodiak Best Western hotel on April 16 with a presentation on the AFSC date collection modernization and other NOAA Fisheries updates.

The 47th year of ComFish, also available online, is expected to attract from 500 to 1,000 participants, according to Ellen Simeonoff, executive director of the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce, organizer of the annual event. Registration is online at https://comfishak.com. The event is continuing to grow, this year with over 60 vendors in the trade show at the Kodiak Marketplace. ComFish offers direct participants and others engaged in the Alaska commercial fisheries industry a one-stop shop for networking and updates on fisheries technology, markets and regulatory actions.

This being an election year, Simeonoff said she expected those attending will also include candidates for several federal and Alaska state offices.

Andrew Stradling, technical applications manager for Furuno USA, who has experience in omnidirectional sonar and multibeam echosounder technology, is slated to speak on hydroacoustic fundamentals. U.S. Coast Guard presenters will speak about what mariners can expect from medevacs at sea.

Also on the forums agenda is an Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute presentation on market research and analytics to drive sales and enhance the market position of Alaska seafood and Denise Damewood of Project Gabe, a resource for opioid misuse awareness and education and opioid antagonist training and medications.