The Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association will partner with the Sitka Seafood Festival to host a Fall Fishermen’s Expo in Sitka from November 7th-9th, 2017, providing workshops, educational events, and networking opportunities for commercial fishermen and the public. The main expo events in November will be preceded by an open meeting with representatives from the International Pacific Halibut Commission on October 30th.
The expo, modeled after similar expos held by ALFA in the past two years, is part of an effort to expand the usual summer festivities of the Sitka Seafood Festival beyond the fishing season and provide educational opportunities that benefit our local fishing industry and economy- giving back to the fishing heritage that supplies our local seafood. Thanks to sponsors including SEARHC, the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, the City of Sitka, and several local businesses, all events are free and open to the public.
Information and trainings offered are targeted towards both older, more experienced fishermen and younger people who are looking to gain mentorship and experience in the industry. Workshop topics will include: best practices while running a fishing business, policy updates, bathymetric mapping trainings, safety courses hosted by AMSEA, and seafood marketing information.
“By partnering with ALFA to host the Fall Fishermen’s Expo, the Sitka Seafood Festival aims to both celebrate and support our local seafood industry,” said Willow Moore, director of the festival. “I’m very grateful that we are able to continue to offer these workshops for free, thanks to the support of our sponsors and community.”
The educational events will be accompanied by nightly social gatherings, including the first ever “Fishermen’s Job Fair”, sponsored by the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, an event that will be open to all where fishermen can mingle and look for prospective employers/crew. The job fair will be held at the Mean Queen at 5:30 PM on November 8th.
The majority of the events on November 7-9th will be held at Centennial Hall in Sitka. Visit alfafish.org for a detailed schedule, including presenters, locations, and workshop times.
CONTACT:
Willow Moore, Director, Sitka Seafood Festival: 907-747-3400
Alyssa Russell, Communications Manager, ALFA: 508-566-6098
OCTOBER 26, 2017
