HJR 5 Summary

• Urges the National Marine Fisheries Service to keep the Southeast Alaska troll fishery operating and prepare necessary documents to support continuation of winter and summer troll seasons while developing a new biological opinion.

• Requests the National Marine Fisheries Service and Alaska Department of Fish and Game commit resources to defend state fisheries against the Wild Fish Conservancy lawsuit, which alleges the troll fishery contributes to extinction of southern resident killer whales.

• Urges Alaska to work with its Congressional delegation to keep the Southeast Alaska troll fishery open if courts adopt a magistrate judge's recommendation to close it.

• Emphasizes the troll fishery's economic importance: approximately 1,450 fishers earned income directly in 2019, 85% of permits held by state residents, and total annual economic impact of approximately $85,000,000.

• Notes that only 2-3% of Alaska's catch comes from Puget Sound chinook salmon stocks critical to killer whales, and argues closure would unlikely provide meaningful benefits to killer whale populations.