ASFT
July 7th, 2025
Joe Nelson
Sitka, AK — The Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust (ASFT) is proud to announce that it has been awarded a $700,000 grant and $234,000 program-related investment (PRI) from the Rasmuson Foundation to restore rural and indigenous access to Alaska’s coastal fisheries and ensure sustainable fishery access for residents of Southeast Alaska’s small rural communities and future generations of young fishermen. With the Rasmuson Foundation’s generous support, the Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust (ASFT) will launch the Southeast Village Fisheries Collective, a Southeast Regional Community Quota Entity (CQE), to anchor fisheries access in small, rural Southeast Alaska communities.
ASFT and project partners (Sealaska, Central Council of the Tlingit and Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska, and Spruce Root) are currently developing the Southeast Regional CQE so that it can purchase quota for use by Southeast community residents. Community entities that have signed resolutions in support of the regional CQE include: Shaan Seet (Craig), City of Kasaan, Organized Village of Kasaan, City and Borough of Yakutat, Yak-Tat Kwaan. With Rasmuson funds, ASFT will purchase halibut quota for the Southeast Regional CQE to be assigned to communities and fished only by residents of specific communities and pay down existing quota purchases with a loan from Rasmuson.
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