A $90,000 grant will help Kodiak jig fishermen get better prices and opportunities when they catch Pacific cod and rockfish.
The Alaska Marine Conservation Council received the grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation on April 30.
The grant is one of 18 awarded from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation’s Fisheries Innovation Fund. In total, $1.55 million was awarded to different organizations to support new technologies, ideas and management strategies for fisheries innovations.
With the grant, AMCC will host seminars to teach fishermen the best ways to handle, chill and bleed fish to boost catch quality and prices. AMCC will also work to take jig fishing further with niche marketing.
Niche marketing means connecting jig fishermen with consumers in the Lower 48 who are willing to pay more in order to ensure quality and understand where their food comes from.
“There are many consumers who want to buy fish from these conservation community-based fishermen, and we hope to connect with these consumers. This is a triple bottom-line approach that enhances the conservation, social and economic benefits to our fisheries,” said conservation council member Theresa Peterson.
“The popularity of community-supported fisheries, rise in direct marketing, rapid growth in the local, slow and traditional foods movements are all evidence that the timing is ripe to make a name for Kodiak’s small-scale fisheries that embody strong conservation and community principles,” she said.
The grant runs over a two-year period that started May 1. The work for the project will start immediately.
“AMCC is now funded through this grant to work with the jig fleet, and hopefully take the opportunity found in jigging a step further with niche marketing,” Peterson said. “Members of the jig fleet will match grant funding with their knowledge to facilitate development of the project.”
The overhead for the jig fishery is relatively low and it is considered an entry-level fishery, which means small boats and local fishermen can get involved easily.
The jig fishery also has limited impact on the environment and reduced bycatch, since each fish is handled individually.
The Alaska Jig Association will hold a meeting in a couple of weeks when the state-waters cod season is over, and will discuss what the grant means for the jig fishermen.
“The Alaska Jig Association appreciates any and all marketing opportunities that recognize the quality of sustainability of the local jig harvest,” said jig association president and jig fisherman Darius Kasprzak. “We have been collaborating for a number of years at AJA and AMCC. We share a common ground in promoting open access among jig fishery.”
Read more: kodiakdailymirror.com