Aleuts, NMFS Reach Agreement on Joint Management of Federal Waters
Agreement has been reached between the Aleut Community of St. Paul Island (ACSPI) and the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for joint management of federal waters off of the Pribilof Islands fishing community.
The economy of Saint Paul Island is dependent primarily on commercial fisheries.
The memorandum of agreement was signed Jan 16 by ACSPI President John Wayne Melovidov and Janet L. Coit, NMFS’ assistant administrator for fisheries.
The MOA establishes a government-to-government relationship that recognizes each party's roles in stewarding the marine waters surrounding the Pribilof Islands, and notes the link of the Aleut people to the marine ecosystem surrounding their ancestral home, as well as NMFS's responsibility for stewardship of the nation’s ocean resources ...