Operating budget for FY23 is “essentially flat funded”
Alaska’s division of commercial fisheries (DCF) operating budget again dodged any big cuts from Governor Dunleavy or the Legislature and in fact, got some increases.
The FY23 budget is about $78.8 million compared to $76.8 million for FY22. That does not include the budget for the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission which came in at about $3.2 million for both years. The CFEC is under the umbrella of ADF&G.
CommFish director Sam Rabung said the division got some contractual increases and other personal services costs covered “so we didn’t go backwards too much.”
Some increments for new research also were included in the Capital budget “so that is really nice,” Rabung said in an email.
That includes funding for sampling the South Peninsula chum salmon harvest to determine the stock structure in that mixed stock fishery.
Dr. Katie Howard’s research in the Salmon Ocean Ecology Program also received some funding support.
“All in all, I feel that we did pretty well relative to a few years ago,” Rabung said.
