By Margaret Bauman
Alaska Journal of Commerce

Offshore exploration, king crab stocks, the Pebble mine project, Exxon Valdez oil spill litigation and seafood marketing are all on the agenda for ComFish 2007, March 15-17 in Kodiak.

Comfish, which started out in a borrowed National Guard tent in 1980, has grown to become one of the island's major visitor attractions, filling the city of Kodiak with participants in the annual commercial fisheries gathering.

The 2007 agenda will include a discussion on offshore oil and gas exploration in Bristol Bay, spokespersons for and against developing the proposed Pebble mine, and a discussion of federal, state and local fisheries issues.

Fisheries Commissioner Denby Lloyd and John Bitney, legislative director for Gov. Sarah Palin, will lead the discussion on fisheries issues. Presenters from Northern Dynasty Mines Inc., the Canadian company that wants to build the Pebble project, include Heidi Franklin and Trefon Angasan. Groups opposed to the project, which feel a mine would threaten a viable fishing industry, will be represented by Scott Brennan and Bob Waldrop, for the Renewable Resources Coalition, and Lindsey Bloom, fisheries outreach coordinator for Trout Unlimited Alaska.

Gordon Kruse and Bill Bechtol of the University of Alaska's School of Fisheries and Ocean Sciences, along with Brian Allee, director of the Alaska SeaGrant program, will lead discussions on Alaska king crab stocks. Colorado entrepreneur Bill Gillette of Wild River Grilling will offer a session on how to market a commercial harvest, and aquaculture specialist Ray RaLonde of Alaska Sea Grant, will discuss shellfish aquaculture.

More information and registration information is available online at comfishalaska.com.

While commercial fishermen, processors and government agencies regulating the fisheries industry come to share and debate ideas, Kodiak sees a welcome increase in cash flow at its hotels, restaurants and other retail businesses, said Deborah King, spokeswoman for the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce.

Pam Foreman, executive director of the Kodiak Convention and Visitors Bureau, said most of the area's some 250 rooms will be booked.

“Generally around the first of March we start getting panic calls (for accommodations) at the CVB, and we do everything we can to hook them up with the (bed and breakfasts) and hotels that have availability,” she said.

“Any time in winter in Alaska that you can fill the hotels, that is good economic impact,” she said.

Kodiak's other major attractions for out-of-town visitors include Whale Fest, April 13-22, and Crab Fest, on Memorial Day weekend. The latter includes food, a parade, many booths and a midway of carnival rides, which arrives via ferry and is literally put up overnight, Foreman said.

Margaret Bauman can be reached at margie.bauman@alaskajournal.com.