October 2, 1997

Alaska ferries to resume British Columbia service

By DAVID GERMAIN
Associated Press Writer

JUNEAU, Alaska (AP) -- Ferry service between Alaska and a Canadian port, suspended since midsummer because of a blockade by fishermen, will resume this December, state officials said Wednesday.

Alaska agreed to reopen its ferry runs to Prince Rupert, British Columbia, after Canadian federal and local officials assured they would work to prevent any future blockades, said Gov. Tony Knowles.

"There's no guarantee that something cannot happen," Knowles said. But promises from Canadian authorities will help "make sure if there is an incident, there will be a quick response to it."

Canadian Fisheries Minister David Anderson sent Knowles a letter pledging that the Canadian Coast Guard will do all it can to give the Alaska ferries safe passage.

In a separate letter, Prince Rupert Mayor Jack Mussallem told Knowles his community is developing an emergency response plan to make sure that any ship blockaded there will be freed quickly.

Mussallem said his city also will spend $500,000 to promote the tourism connections between Alaska and Canada. That will help repair the image of the Alaska ferry system, which received bad publicity when hundreds of travelers wound up stranded during the blockade, Knowles said.

Ferry service to Prince Rupert was suspended in July after a fleet of British Columbia fishing boats held up the Malaspina for more than two days. Fishermen involved in the protest said Alaska fleets were catching too many sockeye salmon bound for Canadian waters.

"In hindsight, with sober thought, fishermen have said they're sorry and they won't blockade the ferry again," Mussallem said. "Emotions were running high and they had a valid concern. That concern is being dealt with now."

The incident was the latest squabble over the Pacific Salmon Treaty of 1985, which is intended to regulate salmon fishing among Alaska, Washington, Oregon and British Columbia. The United States and Canada have repeatedly been at odds over their salmon allotments, and negotiations on treaty revisions have proven futile.

After the blockade, the two countries appointed prominent envoys -- former U.S. Interior Secretary William Ruckelshaus and former University of British Columbia president David Strangway -- to try to resolve treaty disputes before next year's fishing season.

Mussallem also sent a letter to British Columbia Premier Glen Clark asking that the province apologize to passengers stranded during the blockade and help reimburse them for expenses arising from the incident.

Clark spokesman Geoff Meggs said Alaska "shouldn't hold its breath for an apology. The premier has always been very clear he doesn't agree with illegal activities but also was very clear that his sympathies were with the fishermen because they were acting out of desperation."

Prince Rupert and communities in Southeast Alaska have lost millions of dollars in tourism money because of the disruption in ferry service. Many motorists ride the ferries in to and out of Prince Rupert so they do not have to make a long drive through the British Columbia and Yukon wilderness.

Alaska is still suing for up to $2 million in damages from fishermen who held up the Malaspina. Knowles previously said ferry service to Prince Rupert would not resume unless the state was reimbursed for losses resulting from the blockade. But Knowles said he was satisfied with promises from Canadian officials that the ferries would have safe passage.

Joy Thorkelson, spokeswoman for the United Fishermen union in Prince Rupert, said the fleet has no plans for future blockades. The fishermen got their point across with the Malaspina protest, drawing attention to the treaty quarrels, she said.

"As long as there's progress, nobody has any intention of blockading any Alaskan ferry," Thorkelson said.