The Homer City Council approved extending the exemption at the Homer Harbor at its Jan. 13 meeting.
The council attempted to start charging moorage fees last year for work skiffs, small vessels carried aboard boats. But the council postponed the change for the year after commercial fishermen came out against the fee. The city’s Port and Harbor Advisory Commission recommended extending the fee exemption for this year after fishermen faced yet another tough season.
Several fishermen spoke in favor of keeping the exemption. William Roth, a Homer-based seiner, said rising costs are pushing some fishermen away from Homer.
“We've lost five vessels to Valdez due to cheaper mortgage being there. Those are five businesses that left Homer,” Roth said.
Roth said the city could adopt a long-term solution like the Kodiak Harbor, where skiffs can be moored for free for part of the year. Camron Hagen, a first generation fisherman, said high operating costs and annual expenses makes getting into the industry tough. He said extending the exemption could help lead to a long-term solution.
“Let the local commercial fishermen unify a little bit so that we can maybe present a proposal to kind of have some dates set aside where we don't get charged for certain times when our all of our vessels are in the water, could be beneficial for everyone,” Hagen said.
Homer resident and harbor user Mary Griswold opposed the exemption, and said everyone using the harbor should have to pay.
“I applaud the seine fishermen for trying to save money where they can. The Homer Harbor is a very expensive enterprise. Giving the same fishermen a moorage discount just pushes the harbor costs onto the rest of us,” Griswold said.
While the council unanimously approved the ordinance, some members also want to see a long-term solution. Council member Shelly Erickson encouraged fishermen to work with the city’s Port and Harbor Advisory Commission.
“I would just really encourage all of you to make sure that you come to the port and harbor with solutions, not just coming with our frustrations, because we all have frustrations, but solutions is what brings us all together as a community,” Erickson said.
The extension will remain in effect until the end of this year.