00:00I believe that one of the top issues for our fishermen across every sector, across every
00:06region, is the high cost of fuel. This is the number one cost for all fishermen. This war in
00:12Iran is driving up our gas and diesel prices. Dan Sullivan has voted for the war in Iran
00:19over 10 times, 10 times to jack up your prices. We should not be going to Washington, D.C. to
00:26fight for one party or another. We should be fighting for our fishermen. And yes, we do
00:30need a USDA Office of Seafood, but we can't celebrate just yet. We need to make sure that
00:36that USDA Office of Seafood is fighting for wild stocks, Alaskan stocks, not farmed fish,
00:44not the Dan Sullivan USDA Office of Farmed Fish.
00:51Thank you to the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce for having me here today.
00:55Today, strong fisheries are the lifeblood of our economy, communities, and families.
01:02Some of the fisheries that have sustained generations of Alaskans are suffering at the hands of lower
01:0748 factory trawlers, and we need to take action. I want to be clear, we're in this fight together
01:13against out-of-state corporations who export our fish and our profits while leaving our
01:18fisheries worse off. Our fight is not against small and mid-sized boats that keep communities
01:24like Kodiak Strong. It's against the out-of-state corporate greed that leads to wanton waste and
01:30damage to our seafloor. I've been fishing in Alaska since I was six years old. I became a permit holder
01:37when I turned 12. I'm the only candidate on this stage who's an Alaskan fisherman. Fish is in my blood,
01:46earned over generations on the water. Alaskans know the difference between a senator who fights for
01:53fish and one who fishes for donations. That's why I've not taken a single dollar from out-of-state
01:59corporate trawlers and why I've never owned a share of stock in a farmed fish company. I'll fight to ban
02:07lower 48 factory trawlers from harming our fish stocks. I'll fight to reduce bycatch, and I'll fight to
02:13restore abundance for the next generation of Alaska fishermen. I'll fight to secure real and timely
02:19disaster funding. And thank you again for having me, and I look forward to working with you.
02:31Thank you, Mary. Dan Sullivan.
02:34Dan Sullivan. Thank you to the Chamber. I love this community. I've learned so much from this
02:39community. Twelve years ago, I participated in this debate against someone who had served in Congress,
02:45talked a lot about fish, but got little done. I promised something different. Real results,
02:50not just talk. I kept that promise. Working together, I've led on a long list of achievements,
02:56just to name a few. Single-handedly banning Russian seafood imports and non-going after Chinese imports.
03:03Establishing the new USDA Office of Seafood. Passing major IUU fishing bills.
03:08Securing over $600 million in trade relief for Alaska fishermen and over $100 million
03:14for NOAA's ocean acidification program. Fighting and winning in court for Southeast salmon
03:20trollers and our halibut fishermen against the Amendment 80 trawl fleet. Passing the largest ocean
03:26cleanup legislation in history. Leading on historic multi-billion dollar investments in our ferry system
03:32in Coast Guard. And leading on reducing bycatch, including the most comprehensive bill in history
03:38that we will vote on next week. Here's the bottom line. Our fishermen deserve relentless focus and action,
03:45not just talk. During my opponent's first term in Congress, she did not introduce one bill dealing
03:50with fish. In two terms in Congress, she did not have one bill signed into law. I had 63 signed
03:57into law in two terms.
03:58There's many focused on strengthening our fisheries. We have many challenges, but working together,
04:04I promise to continue delivering real results for all of you.
04:15For the first round of questions, our two panelists, Mike Litzo, formerly with NOAA Fisheries,
04:21and Chelsea Riddell with Pacific Seafood, will provide some background on an issue and then ask a series of questions
04:27about that topic to the candidates. Each candidate will have two minutes to answer each question.
04:33Thank you. Topic one is identifying and achieving seafood priorities.
04:39Alaska is known for its wonderful seafood and seafood is an important economic driver for Alaska's coastal fishing communities.
04:47The seafood industry is complex and it faces many issues and opportunities on the horizon.
04:54Question number one. What are the top two fisheries issues where you can make a meaningful difference for Alaska?
05:01And why did you choose these two issues? We will start with Mr. Sullivan.
05:06Well, let me begin on the top two. First, the Russians essentially declared war against Alaska fisheries.
05:15And they said it. They're going to flood the zone with regard to their seafood.
05:23It drove down prices. And one of the top things that I've done with regard to our fisheries that's helped
05:29everybody.
05:30And by the way, it helps the bycatch issue is go after the Russians.
05:34If you say, hey, you're going to attack Alaska, we'll go after you.
05:38I relentlessly worked on getting a ban on all Russian seafood into the United States of America.
05:47This took a relentless work. This has helped our fishermen across not only Alaska, but the country.
05:57And now we are going after China with regard to the same ban. Why?
06:02Because Russian trawlers, Chinese trawlers ravage the ocean. They compete unfairly and they have been going after our markets.
06:14So the number one thing is not only to continue the Russian ban, but I've gone to other countries to
06:20try to get them to go after the Russians and the Chinese in terms of banning the importation.
06:26That helps with bycatch. It helps with our fishermen. It helps everybody.
06:30The second one is a policy goal that we have tried to get done and I got done for years.
06:38That's establishing a USDA Office for Seafood Policy. What does this do?
06:45It enables. We got that done last year. Now I'm trying to get that into law.
06:50We will get that done as well. My bill for establishment of the Seafood Policy Office is in is in
06:59the farm bill right now.
07:01That helps with regard to enabling fishermen to have access to all the programs that farmers have.
07:11And finally, getting my bycatch bill over the goal line next week in the Commerce Committee.
07:24State the short question at the very end there.
07:27What are the top two fisheries issues where you can make a meaningful difference for Alaska?
07:32And why did you choose these two issues?
07:35It's hard to narrow it down to two, Chelsea.
07:37I think that, number one, we have to reauthorize Magnus and Stevens Act.
07:43This hasn't been reauthorized since 2006.
07:45And so much has changed in our waters and in our industry.
07:49I believe that one of the top issues for our fishermen across every sector, across every region is the high
07:57cost of fuel.
07:58This is the number one cost for all fishermen.
08:02This war in Iran is driving up our gas and diesel prices.
08:07Dan Sullivan has voted for the war in Iran over 10 times, 10 times to jack up your prices.
08:14This should not be we should not be going to Washington, D.C. to fight for one party or another.
08:20We should be fighting for our fishermen.
08:22And, yes, we do need a USDA Office of Seafood, but we can't celebrate just yet.
08:27We need to make sure that that USDA Office of Seafood is fighting for wild stocks, Alaskan stocks, not farmed
08:35fish.
08:36Not the Dan Sullivan USDA Office of farmed fish.
08:49Our second question.
08:51Can you please detail your plan to engage with all impacted stakeholders before introducing legislation?
08:58Ms. Potola, we begin with you.
09:00Thank you, Mike.
09:01I am very proud of the trawling bill, the bycatch bill that I introduced when I was in the Congress.
09:10The two years that I served in Congress in the minority, I worked with stakeholders across the state of Alaska.
09:17That's why it took over a year to introduce that, because I was actually talking with people with 907 area
09:23codes across our state
09:24about how the legislation impacted them and their fisheries and their bottom line.
09:30I think it's so important to only be talking to Alaskans.
09:34You had to be an Alaskan to get an appointment with me.
09:36I did not want to hear from lower 48 Seattle 7, lower 48 factory industrial trawlers, folks who are mostly
09:46employing non U.S. citizens.
09:49I think that stakeholder outreach, stakeholder engagement, constituent work, listening to actual Alaskans is the number one job of a
09:59U.S. senator, of an Alaskan senator.
10:01And that's why every community I go to, I have meet and greets.
10:05I have constituent opportunity meeting time face to face so I can really hear what's on your mind and in
10:12your heart.
10:13And you can see whether or not I am understanding what you are saying, what Alaskans are saying, what Alaskan
10:20fishermen feel that they need.
10:21Right now they need lower gas prices, lower diesel prices.
10:25When I smell the scent of diesel, the first thing I think of is my dad's Volvo Penta inboard motor
10:32and the smell of that diesel.
10:34And every day that diesel is getting more and more expensive for our fishermen, more and more expensive to make
10:41ice, more and more expensive for our processors to process these fish.
10:48Most of our powerhouses are generated by diesel.
10:52We need we need a break here.
10:54We need some help.
10:55We need somebody in D.C. fighting to lower our costs, not to jack up our costs.
11:02Thank you so much.
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