Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust

Local Fish Fund

The Local Fish Fund is an ongoing project of the Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust that helps overcome barriers to entry by providing the cash and administering the loans that young fishermen need to acquire initial ownership of access rights. The Fund is designed to improve local retention of economic benefits from Alaska fisheries by facilitating transactions between established fishermen, emerging fishermen, and socially responsible investors. The Fund provides emerging fishermen with a down payment for an initial quota purchase, with fund investors sharing in the annual value of the catch through an equity partnership. This innovative revenue sharing model reduces barriers to entry into commercial fisheries and supports the next generation of Alaska's commercial fishermen in purchasing fishing privileges, known as quota. Since launching in 2019, the Local Fish Fund has expended nearly 1.5 million dollars in loans to Alaskan fishermen. The program incentivizes ocean conservation and aims to increase fishery policy leadership and stewardship in Alaska.