SCR 19: Relating to the support of fisheries education, training, and research and encouraging collaborative efforts between the state, the University of Alaska, and other educational institutions to provide fisheries education programs.
00 SENATE CONCURRENT RESOLUTION NO. 19 01 Relating to the support of fisheries education, training, and research and encouraging 02 collaborative efforts between the state, the University of Alaska, and other educational 03 institutions to provide fisheries education programs. 04 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA: 05 WHEREAS Alaska's wealth lies in the human resources of the state as much as in its 06 great natural fisheries resources; and 07 WHEREAS broad fisheries education programs can provide Alaskans with the 08 knowledge and skills necessary to support their families and communities, foster the long- 09 term sustainability of our seafood industry, and compete in a global economy; and 10 WHEREAS specialized vocational training programs for skills required by the fishing 11 and seafood industries, such as training to become a roe technician or to maintain specialized 12 seafood processing equipment, are not offered in the state; and 13 WHEREAS neither the University of Alaska nor any other institution in the United 14 States offers a seafood business degree; and 15 WHEREAS new educational paradigms, which recognize the need for innovation,
01 must be supported not only in the harvesting and processing sector but in fisheries product 02 development, marketing, research, and seafood business management; and 03 WHEREAS a wealth of information resides within the state's executive departments 04 and agencies that deal with fisheries, including the Departments of Education and Early 05 Development, Fish and Game, Community and Economic Development, Labor and 06 Workforce Development, Revenue, and Environmental Conservation; and 07 WHEREAS many agencies located within these departments and agencies, such as 08 the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute, develop and disseminate a vast amount of knowledge 09 and information on the fishing and seafood industry; and 10 WHEREAS the University of Alaska system, working in collaboration with the state, 11 has the potential to provide world-class fisheries and seafood education and training 12 programs; and 13 WHEREAS the Joint Legislative Salmon Industry Task Force was formed to address 14 the issues of the fishing and seafood industry; 15 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature supports the recommendation 16 from the Joint Legislative Salmon Industry Task Force to support and promote fisheries 17 education, training, and research as a long-term solution for the fishing and seafood industry; 18 and be it 19 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature supports the 20 recommendation of the Joint Legislative Salmon Industry Task Force that the State of Alaska, 21 the University of Alaska, and other vocational and technical education providers in Alaska 22 collaborate to develop and provide fisheries education programs in Alaska. 23 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Frank Murkowski, Governor 24 of Alaska; the Honorable Mark Hamilton, President, University of Alaska; Fred Esposito, 25 Director, Alaska Vocational Technical Center; and Cheryl Edenshaw, Executive Director, 26 Alaska Technical Center.