00                      HOUSE JOINT RESOLUTION NO. 26                                                                     
01 Urging the expansion of state jurisdiction over coastal water.                                                          
02 BE IT RESOLVED BY THE LEGISLATURE OF THE STATE OF ALASKA:                                                               
03       WHEREAS the state, guided by its constitution, is committed to promoting the                                    
04 settlement of land and the development of resources in alignment with public interest; and                              
05       WHEREAS art. VIII, sec. 1, Constitution of the State of Alaska, declares the state's                            
06 policy to encourage land settlement and resource development in the public interest; and                                
07       WHEREAS art. VIII, sec. 2, Constitution of the State of Alaska, mandates the                                    
08 legislature to provide for the use, development, and conservation of all natural resources,                             
09 including land and water, for the maximum benefit of its people; and                                                    
10       WHEREAS art. VIII, sec. 3, Constitution of the State of Alaska, emphasizes the                                  
11 preservation of fish, wildlife, and water in their natural state for common use by the people;                          
12 and                                                                                                                     
13       WHEREAS art. VIII, sec. 4, Constitution of the State of Alaska, underscores the use,                            
14 development, and maintenance of replenishable resources on the sustained yield principle;                               
15 and                                                                                                                     
16       WHEREAS art. VIII, sec. 5, Constitution of the State of Alaska, empowers the                                    

01 legislature to provide facilities and services for greater use, development, reclamation, and                           
02 settlement of land, and for fisheries, wildlife, and water; and                                                         
03       WHEREAS the resilient people of the state are willing and able to safeguard the                                 
04 coastline; and                                                                                                          
05       WHEREAS the coastal water of the state is deeply ingrained in the state's culture and                           
06 identity; and                                                                                                           
07       WHEREAS the people of the state believe that local management of resources is                                   
08 better than from well-meaning experts in a distant capitol; and                                                         
09       WHEREAS fishing is a cornerstone of the state's economy, serving as the largest                                 
10 private-sector employer; and                                                                                            
11 WHEREAS the state is a global leader and sets the gold standard for fisheries                                         
12 management; and                                                                                                         
13 WHEREAS the fishing families of the state, who pass down responsible practices                                        
14 through generations, are the heart and soul of the seafood industry; and                                                
15 WHEREAS the state is the leading seafood producer in the United States,                                               
16 contributing two-thirds of the nation's wild seafood harvest; and                                                       
17 WHEREAS the seafood industry directly employs over 62,000 workers, with more                                          
18 than 27,000 being state residents, surpassing any other private sector industry in the state; and                       
19 WHEREAS the seafood industry generated over $163,000,000 in revenue for state                                         
20 and local governments; and                                                                                              
21 WHEREAS the seafood industry annually ships approximately 1,000,000,000 pounds                                        
22 of finished product southbound; and                                                                                     
23 WHEREAS the seafood industry contributed $15,000,000,000 in economic output                                           
24 and nearly 100,000 jobs nationally; and                                                                                 
25 WHEREAS the present three nautical mile limit for fisheries management jurisdiction                                   
26 limits the state's ability to adequately protect and manage seafood resources as outlined in the                        
27 constitution; and                                                                                                       
28 WHEREAS a 15 nautical mile limit would enhance management, enforcement, and                                           
29 jurisdiction control, ensuring the protection of resources and the maximization of returns for                          
30 the state's commercially harvested seafood;                                                                             
31 BE IT RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature urges the National Oceanic                                           

01 Atmospheric Administration Fisheries to extend the fisheries management jurisdiction from                               
02 the existing three nautical mile limit to a 15 nautical mile limit; and be it                                           
03 FURTHER RESOLVED that the Alaska State Legislature calls on the state                                                 
04 government to collaborate with the Alaska Congressional delegation to facilitate the                                    
05 expansion of jurisdiction over coastal water.                                                                           
06 COPIES of this resolution shall be sent to the Honorable Joseph R. Biden, President                                   
07 of the United States; and the Honorable Kamala D. Harris, Vice President of the United States                           
08 and President of the U.S. Senate; the Honorable Gina Raimondo, United States Secretary of                               
09 Commerce; the Honorable Richard W. Spinrad, Ph.D., United States Under Secretary of                                     
10 Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere and National Oceanic and Atmospheric                                                 
11 Administration Administrator; Janet Coit, Assistant Administrator for Fisheries, National                               
12 Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration; the Honorable Doug Vincent-Lang, Commissioner,                                  
13 Department of Fish and Game; and the Honorable Lisa Murkowski and the Honorable Dan                                     
14 Sullivan, U.S. Senators, and the Honorable Mary Peltola, U.S. Representative, members of                                
15 the Alaska delegation in Congress.