My turn: Herring decision affects all of us

The recent decision by National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) not to list northern Lynn Canal herring under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is a good news/bad news story for Juneau.

The good news is that, for now, we have avoided the impacts that the listing would have had on our community. Activities such as improvements to docks and harbors, operations of the fast ferries, cruise ship routes, commercial and recreational fishing, whale watching tours, or any activity that takes place where herring occur in our area would have been subject to strict ESA habitat and management reviews.

So, what is the bad news? Well, NMFS has initiated a status review for all Southeast Alaska herring. The agency will consider if this distinct population stock should be a candidate species under the ESA. The Southeast Alaska distinct stock extends from Dixon Entrance northward to Cape Fairweather and Icy Point, which would likely be the area designated as "critical habitat." This status review could have sweeping impacts.

For example, once a species is listed as an ESA stock, critical habitat for the species must be identified. After critical habitat is established, all "takings" are prohibited (unless a permit is issued to allow a taking - a very difficult process). A "taking" is any human activity that potentially has, or could have, an adverse affect on the listed species.

Consider for a moment what is required whenever an eagle nest has the potential to be disturbed. Even though their population numbers are very high now and eagles are no longer a listed species, a great deal of regulatory control still applies to their habitat and nesting areas. Luckily, we get to consider one nest at a time with eagles. Anyone involved in Western Alaska fisheries can tell similar stories of impacts without clear benefits when reviewing the Steller Sea Lion listing. Even though some areas are showing increasing populations, removing ESA-related regulations is very difficult if not impossible. The possible regulatory controls for protecting herring would be at least as complicated, costly, and difficult to manage.

While herring are a key prey species in our waters and play a pivotal role in the health of our marine environment, as well as in the subsistence and commercial fisheries in Southeast Alaska, listing these stocks under the ESA isn't the way to increase herring stocks.

The way to protect and restore our herring stocks is through better science, and adequate funding for restoration and management programs. Conducting a region wide assessment is needed to obtain adequate data for the decision process. Furthermore, having extensive and complete data will improve federal and state agencies ability to make policy changes that work.

We must all closely monitor the review process so we can examine the science, understand the consequences and identify the costs of listing.

There is more good news though. With the new National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration facility and the University of Alaska School of Fisheries upgrade at Lena Point, we have a unique opportunity to bring vigorous and extensive local scientific research to this problem. With our current healthy state budget, we should be able to fund the needed research.

Rather than bring the heavy hammer of the ESA into the equation, the solution to restoring herring stocks requires creative leadership to bring together federal and state agencies, local research facilities, scientists, fishery managers, commercial and recreational fisherman and other stakeholders to work together to solve this puzzle in a way that benefits the species and doesn't harm our already struggling economy.

• Stephanie Madsen is a Juneau resident involved in the fishing industry throughout Alaska. She is executive director of the At-sea Processors Association and former member of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council.