Alaskans Helping Alaskans

Resilient. This word best defines 2022 for CVRF and our communities. Resilient in the face of a historic storm that battered villages and infrastructure. Resilient during a salmon crisis that challenged longstanding subsistence needs and traditions. Resilient in balancing lower harvests with the mission to deliver programs that support the many needs of our communities.

Through all of these challenges, CVRF’s teamwork, community service, and political engagement resulted in a remarkable year of sustained programs, good financial performance, and a growing standing as sought-after leaders in our industry.

When Typhoon Merbok struck, flooding villages, damaging personal property and upending infrastructure, the CVRF staff dropped their usual roles and went into disaster response mode. Our in-region teams began surveying the damage, calling in reports, and making repairs. Our Anchorage staff, many of whom were born and raised in Western Alaska, also went to work – lining up supplies and shipping, or coordinating visits and requests with state and federal government officials at FEMA and within our Congressional Delegation. I could not be more proud of the CVRF team in this moment of need.

Throughout the year, our seafood operations team adapted seamlessly to rapidly changing conditions in the Bering Sea, and in international markets. Our budget is tied to scientifically-set harvest levels. In lower harvest years like 2022, that means fewer resources to fund programs and address every request. Nonetheless, our programs continued to deliver important benefits, and our team continued to innovate – such as our Geographic Information Mapping system to help communities plan for future construction.

Aboard the Northern Hawk, our clean fishing practices led to record low bycatch rates in 2022. Although we are aware that many factors contribute to salmon decline, chief among them a warming climate and food competition from foreign hatchery fish, we are proud to lead the industry in avoiding salmon while pursuing the sustainable pollock that funds our critical programs.

CVRF’s demonstrated support for sustainable fisheries opened doors to new leadership opportunities in 2022. Oscar Evon, a former CVRF Board Chairman from Kwigillingok who leads our regional affairs team, was tapped to serve on both the North Pacific Council’s bycatch committee and the federal Alaska Salmon Research Task Force, which our Congressional Delegation created to prioritize salmon research efforts. It’s not enough that scientists point to environmental factors instead of trawl bycatch as the cause of the salmon crisis; we want to be part of the solution no matter what caused the problem. Science will help us find answers, along with a better understanding of traditional knowledge about western Alaska salmon and the food security issues in our communities.

Finally, it should be noted every ten years the Magnuson-Stevens Act mandates that all CDQs submit to the State of Alaska a review of their programs and performance. This is known as a “Decennial Review.” In 2022, the State reviewed our performance from 2011-2020 across four criteria. CVRF earned a perfect score. The State recognized and approved of CVRF’s subsistence-oriented approach to CDQ benefits and the critical role that our mechanic/ welder shops play in our communities. The State praised our Honda ATV warranty program as an innovative and forward-thinking way to make subsistence more affordable for our residents. We also demonstrated how CDQ promotes economic activity throughout the state. Our People Propel® program has helped bring thousands of ATVs, snow machines, outboards, and other subsistence equipment to western Alaska. These items came from dealerships across the state and especially in southcentral Alaska. Through our Bering North joint venture, we homeport several vessels in Kodiak, and we pursued opportunities to improve our program delivery through new partnerships in Homer.