The last board of fish meeting in Soldotna was 1999. Prior to the 2002 meeting a number of letters were sent to the board from KRSA board members. Without one ambulance call, ER visit, or arrest at the 1999 meeting, these letters declared to the board of fish that Soldotna was too dangerous for a meeting. Quite the scheme.
In recent times KRSA eavesdropped on a UFA meeting, torpedoed two board of fish nominees (Webster and Ruffner), and presented an Anchorage senator an award at the Kenai Classic, a reward for the vote against Ruffner’s confirmation. Superbowl Sunday 2014, KRSA hosted an $8,000 party at the Captain Cook. The chairman was there. He also received an award at the Kenai Classic. The 2014 board of fish meeting ended with two allocative proposals that were board generated. Travel reservations were made. There in the backroom was a retirement cake for board attorney, Lance Nelson. The 2014 board of fish meeting held in “neutral” Anchorage was a highly orchestrated sham.
The Kenai Peninsula is not too dangerous for 50,000 dipnetters, the Kenai Classic, or the Alaska Board of Fisheries meetings. Cook Inlet fishermen have not had a voice on the board for over three decades and no full board meeting for 16 years. That it has been a tilted process is an understatement. People on the Kenai Peninsula deserve access to this public process. The change of venue is long overdue. I want to thank the Peninsula Clarion for the editorial support in the Sunday edition.
