I was fresh off the boat having beat the storm coming  in from the coast, cozy in my house after one of my career best salmon seasons, catching up on Chilkat Valley News papers when the latest issue delivered me a real surprise. According to one candidate, “fishing is gone” from the local economy! Huh. Isn’t there a local processing plant here, just like in bigger fishing towns? I know some of our gillnetter friends had a lackluster year, but others made six figures in a week; plenty of my fellow trollers, long liners, pot fishers and tenders are bringing back a respectable income from our time at sea, not to mention top-quality protein. We fisherfolk are raising kids here, keeping boats, building houses, employing our diverse skill sets in the community. We’re enjoying the splendor and bounty of this valley, recharging for another season on the water, where there is year-round opportunity. We’re gone, then we return, value added. We’re part of the economy. And we vote. 

Respectfully,

Lindsay Johnson