Opinion: The 82% pollock claim leaves out what matters to Alaska

An ownership statistic cannot capture the full reach of a fishery that supports thousands of Alaska workers and dozens of communities. Trawl-caught pollock harvested during an Alaska research survey. 82% of the value of pollockIt is a striking number. And on its own, it can make it sound as though Alaska gets almost nothing from one of its most important fisheries. That is why context matters. The 82% figure measures where the value associated with vessel ownership accrues. It does not measure the economic activity generated in Alaska. It does not tell us where workers are employed, wages are earned, fish are processed, businesses are paid, taxes are generated or communities benefit. When a pollock vessel fuels in Alaska, employs Alaskans, buys supplies from Alaska businesses, uses Alaska-based services or delivers fish to an Alaska processor, those activities create economic value here. That doesn't disappear because the company that owns the vessel is headquartered somewhere else. When an Alaska processor turns pollock into fillets, surimi, roe, meal or oil, that economic activity happens in Alaska, even if the finished product is ultimately sold outside the state.found that the Alaska pollock industry generated approximately $832 million in economic output in Alaska and supported more than 6,300 Alaska jobs. It also generated hundreds of millions of dollars in Alaska labor income and approximately $21 million in state, borough and municipal taxes. Alaska processors produced approximately $1.7 billion in pollock products in Alaska. Those aren't hypothetical benefits. They areThere is also considerably more Alaska participation in the fishery than the 82% figure suggests. More than a third of Alaska pollock fishing interests are held by Alaska-based entities, including Community Development Quota groups representing 65 Western Alaska communities and roughly 30,000 residents. CDQ organizations invest fishery revenue in jobs, training, infrastructure and economic development. That is another direct connection between the fishery and Alaska communities. None of this means every dollar generated by pollock stays in Alaska. It doesn't. Nor does it mean Alaska shouldn't look for ways to capture more value from its natural resources. We absolutely should. If the question is who owns Alaska's fishing vessels, let's have that debate. If the question is whether Alaska could capture more economic value from pollock, let's have that debate. If the question is what does Alaska get from the pollock fishery, an ownership statistic cannot stand in for an economic-impact analysis. Alaska pollock is a globally important fishery built around an abundant Alaska resource. It supports Alaska workers, businesses, processors and communities across the state while generating billions of dollars in economic activity.but we cannot have that conversation if we start by pretending the economic activity already happening in Alaska doesn't count. Alaskans deserve the whole story about Alaska pollock — not just the 82% number that makes the argument convenient.is vice president of communications for the Alaska Pollock Fishery Alliance, helping promote and protect the responsible, science-based management of the Alaska pollock fishery. The Anchorage Daily News welcomes a broad range of viewpoints. To submit a piece for consideration, email