‘Graying’ of the Fleet Researchers Propose Federal Support for Young Fishermen
A research report charting a new course to “un-gray,” or make younger, the Alaska fleet of commercial harvesters looks at current challenges and proposes programs for young fishermen.
The report titled “Charting a new course: ungraying the fleet and comprehensively supporting fishing livelihoods and communities,” is the work of veteran fisheries social scientists Danielle Ringer of Kodiak, Alaska, Rachel Donkersloot of Aniak and Courtney Carothers of Anchorage.
The document, available online at frontiersin.org, reflects on years of scientific research on the graying of the fleet in Alaska fisheries and discusses progress made at the federal level to improve intergenerational equity in fisheries.
The authors emphasize the importance of a multifaceted approach to challenges facing fishermen, as educational initiatives alone can’t address the current distributional inequities documents in Alaska fisheries.
Recent shocks to the industry — from the COVID-19 pandemic to rapid climate change — present a perfect storm of concerns surrounding how to address global dynamics that impact local livelihood viability in Alaska’s fishing communities, they said.
To ungray the fleet, policy makers must be prepared to address the structural inequities of privatized fishery management programs, a move that will be challenging and controversial in part because what is fair and what is sustainable is often up for debate, they state.
Equity is currently included alongside sustainability when it comes to identifying management goals and outcomes, and the recent turmoil in Alaska’s seafood industry may serve as a rallying point for development of more holistic support or fishermen, the report states.
Concerns over the graying of the fleet prompted Alaska fisheries groups several years ago to invite their counterparts in agriculture to come to Alaska to speak about federal programs developed to train young people for careers in agriculture.
Ringer, Donkersloot and Carothers said Alaska fishermen can learn from and potentially apply these farming programs to fisheries to improve the resiliency of food systems, economies and communities. They also called for more comprehensive and equitable fishery policy approaches and development of programs that situate American fishermen as food providers.
“Through innovative solutions and systemic support at multiple levels, the fishing industry will not only weather the current storm, but also move toward a more resilient and sustainable future,” they said.
