Alaska Pushes for Longer Russian Seafood Ban

0:00Alaska lawmakers just passed a resolution pushing for a stronger, longer-lasting ban on Russian seafood imports, and is now on its way to governor. Mike Dunlevy for his sign-off. This comes as part of broader efforts to revive the state's battered fishing industry with the original ban kicking in back in 2022. After Russia's move on Ukraine, then beefed up in 2023 to block fish rerouted through places like China. Industry folks are filling the squeeze, with last year's catch still one of the worst in 20 years despite some uptick, and they're saying the ban needs more time to let local fishers grab a bigger slice of the US market before stockpiles run dry. Supporters want not just an extension, but tighter enforcement to keep trade fair and boost sustainable practices, tying into a task force report that. Flacked international competition as a big hurdle for Alaska's seafood scene, meanwhile, related bills from that task force are moving, like one expanding tax credits for processing more fish types till 2037,

1:02and another letting local government snag up to 75 percent of certain fishing taxes, efforts building on last year's winds and vetoes to steady. The fleet, long-term, local news powered by AI. This is Anchorage News Today.