By Margaret Bauman
Alaska Journal of Commerce

James Balsiger, of the National Marine Fisheries Service will deliver a keynote address on marine fisheries in transition Nov. 20, on the opening day of Seattle's 2008 Pacific Marine Expo 2008.

Pacific Marine Expo annually beings together at the Quest Field Event Center hundreds of commercial vessel owners, commercial fishermen, boatbuilders, seafood processors and firms that produce and deliver the products they need for their businesses.

Balsiger, NMFS acting assistant administrator for fisheries, will discuss conservation.

Also on the agenda are several other panel discussions on topics of major interest to the Alaska fishing industry, including proposed offshore drilling in Bristol Bay, an update on halibut charter issues, marine debris, advancing salmon by-product recovery, the importance of sustainable fisheries, Bristol Bay processing capacity and safety issues.

The eight-panel members for the discussion on proposed offshore drilling in Bristol Bay include Brent Paine, director, United Catcher Boats; David Harsila, president, Alaska Independent Fishermen's Marketing Association; Alan Kinsey, Norwegian Coastal Fishermen's Association; John Goll, Alaska regional director, federal Minerals Management Service; Keith Colburn, captain of The Wizard; Kelly Harrell, Friends of Bristol Bay coordinator for the Alaska Marine Conservation Council; Michael Stocker, director, Ocean Conservation Research; and Tom Tilden, a Bristol Bay fisherman and chief of the Choggiung Tribal Council.

For the halibut charter update, the speakers include Douglas Vincent-Lang, assistant director of the division of sport fish for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, and Kathy Hansen, executive director of the Southeast Alaska Fishermen's Alliance.

Hers is a multi-gear, nonprofit fishing organization representing members involved in salmon, crab, shrimp and longline fisheries in Southeast Alaska. SEAFA also represents halibut and sablefish quota shareholders involved in all regulatory areas of Alaska.

Jerry Dzugan, executive director of the Alaska Marine Safety Education Association, will lead the discussion on marine debris. Dzugan holds a master's degree in marine education and training from the World Maritime University in Sweden and has given presentations on safety and survival at numerous conferences in North America and Europe.

Participants in the salmon by-products panel include Peter Bechtel, a much-published researcher and associate professor at the University of Alaska Fairbanks; James Browning of the Alaska Fisheries Development Foundation; Nic Zorich, of NZR LLC, dba Alaska Fish By-Products; Pete Nicklason, FishTek Inc.; and Peter Stitzel, Montlake Mining Co.

A panel discussion on Nov. 21 entitled Alaska statehood and sustainable fisheries 50th birthday celebration will include six speakers. They are Al Burch, of the Alaska Whitefish Trawlers Association; Arni Thomson, executive director, Alaska Crab Coalition; Bill Thomas, an Alaska legislator; Bob King, director of the Marine Conservation Alliance Foundation; Laura Fleming, of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute; and Mark Vinsel, executive director, United Fishermen of Alaska.

A conversation on the controversial topic of Bristol Bay processing capacity is also scheduled for the second day of the event. The panel includes Cora Crome, fisheries policy advisor to the governor's office in Juneau; Geron Bruce, assistant director of the commercial fisheries division of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game; John Garner, vice president and director of the salmon division for Trident Seafood Corp.; Kevin O'Sullivan, fisheries development specialist with the Alaska Department of Commerce, Community and Economic Development; Robert Heyano, a commercial fisherman and former member of the Alaska Board of Fisheries; and Sue Aspelund, a fisheries policy assistant for the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

For information, go to www.pacificmarineexpo.com.