Today in the Kodiak Fisheries Debate, lifelong Alaskan and former permit holder Mary Peltola distinguished herself as the only candidate who will fight for Alaska fisheries as Dan Sullivan failed to defend his anti-fish record, ties to anti-Alaska special interests, and factory trawling industry campaign contributions.
“For us, fish is more than food – it’s our way of life. It’s who we are. I started commercial fishing in Alaska when I was six years old. I’ve spent my life fighting for Alaska fisheries, and it’d be a privilege for me to continue that lifelong fight as your Senator,” said Mary Peltola in her closing statement. “In the Senate, I’ll always put Alaska fishermen first. I’ll crack down on the Lower 48 factory trawler interests that are bleeding our state dry, and I’ll fight every day to support Alaska fishermen and secure the future of Alaska fisheries.”
Growing up salmon fishing on the Kuskokwim River with her father, Mary knows firsthand that fish is more than food – it’s central to the Alaska way of life. As that way of life is under attack by out-of-state factory trawlers, Mary laid out her plans to fight for practical, Alaska first solutions to restore Alaska’s fisheries, strengthen communities, and ensure that the next generation can experience the same abundance Alaskans have enjoyed for generations.
In the debate, Mary laid out her plan to ban factory trawling to protect the Alaska way of life, keep mid-water trawlers off bottom, fully fund fish stock assessments, secure robust fishery disaster funding, grow and market Alaska’s mariculture industry, and create Alaska Native seats on the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council to ensure that Alaska is deciding how to tackle the issues our fisheries are facing.
Mary has spent her life fighting for Alaska fishermen, fisheries, and the communities they sustain. As Alaska’s representative, she led the fight for legislation to reduce bycatch and bottom trawling, permanently protect the Bristol Bay fishery, strengthen our seafood supply chain, and improve fishery resilience and management. She worked with colleagues across the aisle to secure more than half a billion dollars in federal funding to support Alaska’s fisheries.
As a lifelong fisherman and a former permit holder, she’s seen firsthand the decline of salmon runs and the devastating impacts out-of-state trawlers are wreaking on our fisheries. She knows the stakes, and she’s running for Senate to fight for bold action to save our fish and restore abundance for Alaskans.
