As a fisherman, small businessman, and father, I want to thank Sen. Lisa Murkowski for all she has done for our great state and its residents. I think the fact that she was born in Alaska has given her the insights to know what we need to succeed. She has spent her entire career working for the best interest of Alaskans and has fought to keep our fisheries healthy and sustainable and our small business competitive.

Lisa has gone to battle for fishermen in many arenas: fighting federal oversight by the EPA on vessel discharge, working to make sure that new Coast Guard regulations are not over burdensome to industry, appropriating funds to insure that fisheries research is well funded, fighting to keep genetically modified seafood out of the market and insisting that if the USDA is going to allow GMO seafood into the United States that it is labeled, co-sponsoring the mandate to U.S. seafood into the school lunch program, to fighting to put an end to IUU fishing and illegal seafood imports.

These are just highlights of the many ways Sen. Murkowski has worked and fought for us. Lisa has spent years working to keep commercial fishing boats exempt from an EPA regulation on vessel discharge. Without her efforts most small boat fishermen would be out of business today. She has worked tirelessly with fishermen and the Coast Guard to make sure regulations from classing fishing vessels to new safety requirements will improve the safety of our fishing fleets and fishermen, while not being so overbearing as to put us out of business. Through her position on the appropriations committee she has always strived to keep funding for fisheries research, stock assessment surveys, and electronic monitoring development.

All of her actions are geared to help ensure sustainable, accountable fisheries for now and into the future. Lisa was the biggest champion in the fight to keep “Frankenfish” out of the market place and was the one who secured the labeling requirement. She was a cosponsor of S.2529 that requires US caught seafood in the school lunch programs and puts an end to Russian-caught pollock being served to our nation’s kids. And she sponsored a bill to fight illegal, unreported, and unregulated fisheries and to keep illegally caught fish out of the U.S. marketplace. She understands the importance of these issues to fishermen and follows through to make sure we have viable fisheries for generations to come.

Lisa has earned my respect and support, and I encourage you to get out to vote for her early or on Nov. 8!

Matthew Alward

Owner, Alward Fisheries LLC