‘That Is Wrong’: Dan Sullivan Gets Heated Over Delayed Action To Support Alaska’s Fishing Industry

Forbes Breaking News

During a Senate Commerce Committee hearing last week, Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-AK) expressed frustration over delayed efforts to support Alaska’s fishing industry.

Transcript

00:00Senator Sullivan for more discussion on fish.

00:05Thank you, Mr. Chairman. I'll save fish for a minute, but

00:09Mr. DeBar, I'm very impressed by your background. I think you're eminently qualified, and I

00:20certainly plan on supporting you. And you mentioned your father worked at the Kenai LNG facility or

00:26helped get LNG from Alaska sold to Japan. Is that correct? He worked for Phillips 66 in the

00:35late 60s selling LNG to Tokyo Gas. That's amazing. That's great. Well, that fits perfect. Last night,

00:42I also saw the secretary at a dinner, Secretary Lutnick. He mentioned to me, and I agree with

00:47Senator Cruz, that we have enormous leverage right now to reduce tariffs. One of the things that we're

00:52also trying to do is get our Asian allies to commit, like your father did, to purchase Alaskan

00:58LNG from the large-scale LNG project that we're now working on. The secretary is fully on board with

01:05that. He mentioned again to me last night, so is the president, so is the U.S. trade rep. Can I just

01:11get your commitment to work with them on that big opportunity we have? This is a huge strategic

01:18opportunity for our country. Yes, Senator. American energy superpower status. Now we're in a better

01:25position than ever before on energy contributing to the positive trade. Great. Speaking of superpowers,

01:31I like to refer to Alaska as the superpower of seafood. About two-thirds of all seafood harvested,

01:39commercial, sport, subsistence of all the fish harvested in America, over two-thirds comes from Alaska.

01:46So we are it. Multi-billion-dollar industry. Multi-billion-dollar exporter. So Secretary

01:55Lutnik, during his confirmation, said he wanted to be, quote, the godfather of the American

02:00fishermen. I don't know if there's another phrase I can use for you, consigliere or something like

02:05that, but can you also commit to making this a high priority? He got tons of questions during his

02:12confirmation hearing on fish. Can I get your commitment on that? Yes, Senator. So I think we're

02:17off to a good start. Certainly on fisheries, we have this unleashing Alaska's extraordinary resource

02:23potential executive order from President Trump on day one. This includes fisheries, LNG, all kinds of

02:30great things in Alaska. And then just a couple days ago, restoring America's seafood competitiveness,

02:36CEO. So we're off to a good start. And I want to commend the president, Secretary Lutnik on their

02:42team. But I am concerned to Senator Cantwell's points, and this is a big issue, that we're not

02:54having the staffing to do the two things that commerce has to do for fisheries. So American fisheries,

03:01unlike chips and science, a quarter of a trillion dollar subsidies, my guys don't get subsidized at

03:07all. The federal government has to do two things. They need to do robust surveys to inform accurate

03:13stock assessments, and they need to do timely promulgation of regulations to open fisheries.

03:19That's it. And when the federal government doesn't do that, you screw the hardworking fishermen

03:25of Alaska in America. Just think, deadliest catch. They do have to compete with Russia and China.

03:32And to be honest, right now, it's not starting to look good. And I'm starting to get really upset.

03:38Because when you got, look, Biden was horrible on the surveys. Horrible. We threw a ton of money at

03:44NOAA, and the guy did climate change and all this BS. He didn't do the blocking and tackling of NOAA,

03:49which is stock assessment surveys. So you guys came in, hey, we're not gonna be like Biden,

03:56but you're not, you're not, I'm getting really worried that you guys aren't doing this either.

04:00And when you don't do stock assessment surveys, you know what happens? My fishermen can't fish.

04:05They don't go 240 billion in subsidies. All they need is a survey. It's not happening. I got a whole

04:12list, and I'm going to mention them here. And I hope to help someone from commerce is watching.

04:16Okay? Because if you're not doing surveys, that's the basic stuff you're supposed to do at NOAA,

04:23then my guys can't fish. They don't want subsidies. They don't want anything. They just want to fish.

04:28So can I get your commitment? And I hope to help someone from NOAA is watching this.

04:33I got a whole list of surveys right now that looks like you're not going to complete.

04:37So what happens? My fishermen don't fish. That is wrong. Can I get your commitment and hope to help

04:44someone from NOAA and commerce is watching this right now? Get on with the surveys. God damn it.

04:51Can I get your commitment? Because you can tell I'm a little rattled about this.

04:54Yes. Yes, Senator. And I know that I've read your proposed bill, the latest one, and also

04:59how understanding research of, for example, salmon in Alaska, where some things are going well,

05:05you know, strong, and some things are weaker. And why? So certainly committed on that also.

05:10So we just need, I just need your commitment to get the staffing and money to do the surveys.

05:16That's it. And if we're failing on this, this is not good. Let me ask one final question.

05:23This relates. There's a contract. We're trying to get the secretary to sign, like right now,

05:28it's for the Oscar Dyson. It's a NOAA survey vessel, home ported in Kodiak, Alaska. It's coming up

05:35for its contract. It needs to be signed this week. Again, I hope commerce people are watching.

05:40Okay. Just sign the contract so we can do the surveys from the Oscar Dyson. That's a NOAA survey

05:47vessel ship. If that's not signed in the next couple of days, that vessel won't be able to do surveys.

05:53So again, this is blocking and tackling to take care of our fishermen, which is in the president's CEOs.

06:00But we got to be able to support them with science. And can I get your commitment on that

06:04and maybe have someone get to the secretary and sign this contract on the Oscar Dyson like today?

06:10I'll follow up. And there are people behind me and watching, listening to you, I'm certain.

06:15Really, really important. Thank you.

06:17All right.

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