By Alaska Sea Grant | October 23, 2023
Alaska Sea Grant and partners were recently awarded over $240,000 from NOAA Sea Grant for a project to train and support new commercial fishermen in Alaska. The two-year project AK On-Board: Young Fishermen Training and Apprenticeship Program will draw upon program strengths from each project partner, including the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association and the Alaska Marine Conservation Council, to assist with crew training, apprenticeships, and network-building that will help new crewmembers be successful on the water.
“Young people are the future of our fishing industry, but the challenges to entry are considerable,” explained Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association Director Linda Behnken. “This funding will allow us to expand and coordinate the existing programs of project partners to offer Alaska’s young fishermen a springboard to success.”
This project, supported by results from an Alaska Sea Grant-led scoping effort, will take a broad approach to fisherman training. The scoping effort identified six priority learning areas for beginning commercial fishermen, and the AK On-Board project will incorporate two areas of need—marine safety and crew skills—while addressing other areas based on local needs. The program will include events in rural communities in the Southeast, Southcentral, Bristol Bay, and Bering Strait regions.
Funding for this project is part of the Young Fishermen’s Development Act sponsored by the late Alaska Representative Don Young. More information about Alaska Sea Grant’s support for commercial fishermen in Alaska is available on our website.