09-14 Regarding money for Alaska Native co-management activities in subsistence.

Published on November 10th, 2009

By ALEX DEMARBAN

Summary

AFN should urge Congress and the secretaries of Commerce and Interior to support implementing co-managment provisions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the agreements entered into by the agencies by funding marine mammal co-management bodies in amounts necessary for their basic operations and for ongoing bio-sampling and the collection and analysis of data from the subsistence harvest of marine mammals.

---

Full Text

RESOLUTION 09-14

TO PROVIDE FUNDING FOR ALASKA NATIVE CO-MANAGEMENT ACTIVITIES AND FOR PROACTIVE PROTECTION OF OUR SUBSISTENCE WAY OF LIFE

WHEREAS: Subsistence hunting, fishing and gathering have provided food and its by-products to Alaska Natives for thousands of years and continue to be practiced by Alaska Natives across Alaska; and

WHEREAS: Subsistence constitutes not only the nutritional, but also the spiritual and cultural foundation of Alaska's indigenous peoples; and

WHEREAS: The measures taken by Congress in Title VIII of ANILCA are slowly being weakened; and

WHEREAS: The State Boards of Fisheries and Game are imposing more and more restrictions on subsistence users who hunt and fish on state, Native and private lands and waters, threatening the survival of many communities; and

WHEREAS: Alaska Native organizations that are working to ensure the retention of the rights of Alaska Natives under the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMP A) are finding it increasingly difficult to fulfill their co-management responsibilities due to dwindling federal funding; and

WHEREAS: The Alaska Native Harbor Seal Commission (ANHSC) represents the conservation and co-management interests of harbor seal hunters and subsistence users in over 60 coastal communities throughout the range of harbor seals in Alaska (from Southeast Alaska to Bristol Bay including the Alaska Peninsula and the Aleutian Islands); and

WHEREAS: ANHSC entered into a co-management agreement with the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in 1999 pursuant to Section 119 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act in order to conserve and provide stewardship of harbor seal populations critical to the subsistence way of life of Alaska Natives; and WHEREAS: In 2008, although ANHSC's research projects (collection of harvest data and biosampling) were ranked by the federal and state agencies as the top two research projects (out of over 50 reviewed) based on management needs for harbor seals, ANHSC's federal funding has decreased significantly making it impossible to continue with these important projects or to be an effective co-management partner without additional funding from other sources; and

WHEREAS: The lack of funding for co-management efforts of Alaska Natives is not unique to the ANHSC, but is true for all the Alaska Native Marine Mammal Commissions and for the Native community in general in our on-going efforts to protect our traditional hunting and fishing rights; and

WHEREAS: In recognition of the growing threats to our way of life, delegates to the 2006 and 2007 AFN Convention called on AFN to develop a proactive strategy for protecting subsistence for succeeding generations; and

WHEREAS: While it remains important to obtain federal funding for research and basic operations of Alaska Native co-management bodies. the Native community generally cannot be proactive in advancing our ability to respond effectively to threats to subsistence; help build the scientific and management capacity of the Native community; advance the rights and opportunities for Native management; and monitor state and federal regulatory actions, court cases and other issues that affect our subsistence resources, unless we have funding from the Native community that can be leveraged with other funding; and

NOW THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED by the delegates to the 2009 Alaska Federation of Natives, Inc., that AFN urge Congress and the Secretaries of Commerce and Interior to support the adequate implementation of the co-management provisions of the Marine Mammal Protection Act and the agreements entered into by the agencies by funding marine mammal co-management bodies in amounts necessary for their basic operations and for on-going bio-sampling and the collection and analysis of data from the subsistence harvest of marine mammals.

SUBMITTED BY: ALASKA NATIVE HARBOR SEAL BOARD OF DIRECTORS

COMMITTEE ACTION: DO PASS

CONVENTION ACTION: AMENDED AND PASSED