A public hearing hosted by Senator Dan Sullivan today in Soldotna will provide some rare insight into the complexes of managing Alaska fisheries under Federal control.
The hearing is part of the first day of this year’s Kenai Classic hosted by the Kenai River Sport Fishing Association and will be streamed lived online. It precedes the 25th annual Kenai River Classic tournament and will focus on the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. It will include testimony from prominent members of the recreational fishing and boating industry, including Yamaha Marine Group President Ben Speciale and others on the far-reaching economic impacts of the recreational fishing industry.
Entitled “Reauthorization of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act: Oversight of Fisheries Management Successes and Challenges in Alaska,” the hearing aims to discuss major issues affecting the management of federal fisheries and access to federal waters. The Magnuson-Steven Act (MSA) is the nation’s primary saltwater fishery management act.
The hearing is 1-4 p.m. Alaska time today at the Kenai Peninsula College campus in Soldotna. Watch a live video stream of the hearing, provided by Yamaha, at https://www.youtube.com/yamahaoutboardsusa.
Hosted by the Kenai River Sportfishing Association (KRSA), a nonprofit dedicated to ensuring the sustainability of the Kenai River, the Classic is an annual three-day invitation fishing event held each summer to raise funds for habitat restoration projects, fisheries education, research and management. During the last 25 years, the Kenai River Classic has raised more than $14 million to support conservation, recreational and personal use fishing on the state’s most popular river.
