Webinars and events
Stepping into climate spaces: Fishermen's participation in the National Climate Assessment and U.N. climate summit
February 28, 4:00 pm Eastern on Zoom
Event description:
Members of the fishing community are familiar with science and decision making in the context of fisheries management, but we are less accustomed to how these processes work in the context of climate impacts and climate policy. In this webinar, we will hear from two commercial fishermen who are blazing a trail into high-impact climate science and negotiation spaces: Linda Behnken, who recently served a co-author of the Alaska Chapter of the National Climate Assessment, and Hannah Heimbuch, who recently attended the U.N. Conference of the Parties on climate change in Dubai.
As the impacts of climate change and climate policy make themselves increasingly felt across coastal communities, it is vital for more fishermen to enter spaces like these and bring to bear our firsthand knowledge and ocean stewardship priorities. But how do we gain entry into these spaces, and how can we most effectively assert our priorities when we may be the only people in the room who work on the water? Hannah and Linda will share what they’ve learned.
About the speakers:
Linda Behnken is the Executive Director of the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association (ALFA) and has fished commercially off Alaska since 1982, both as a deckhand and owner/operator. Linda has previously served: on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC); as an industry advisor to the North Pacific Anadromous Fish Commission; on the National Academy of Science Individual Fishing Quota Review Panel; as a U.S. Commissioner to the International Pacific Halibut Commission from 2016-2018; and as a member of Alaska’s Climate Action Leadership Team. She was awarded the National Fisherman Highliner award in 2009 for her work promoting healthy marine ecosystems and strong coastal communities, and in 2016 Linda was recognized as a White House Champion of Change for Sustainable Seafood by President Obama. Linda is currently serving as a co-author of the National Climate Assessment Alaska chapter and is the Oceans Coordinator for Businesses for Conservation and Climate Action.
Hannah Heimbuch is a commercial fisherman and writer from Alaska. She works as a fisheries policy and communications consultant for Ocean Strategies, and is a regular participant in North Pacific fisheries management processes. Hannah serves as the co-chair of the Alaska Fishing Communities Coalition and Executive Director of the Under Sixty Cod Harvesters. She fishes on Kodiak Island in the Gulf of Alaska, where she and her partner run a remote salmon fishing operation. Previously, Hannah worked as a journalist at multiple Alaskan publications, and as a community organizer specializing in fishing communities and policies at the Alaska Marine Conservation Council. She has fished commercially from Bristol Bay to Prince William Sound. Her education includes bachelor’s degrees in Journalism and Russian Language & Literature from the University of Montana, and a Masters of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Pacific Lutheran University.
Past Events
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New Fishermen, farmers, and climate action: Are there opportunities for mutual wins?
February 21, 2023 5:00-6:00 pm Eastern
What do offshore wind and kelp farming have in common with methane digesters, biofuels, and cover cropping? All are proposed climate solutions that intersect with food production -- the former at sea, and the latter on land. Members of the U.S. commercial fishing community will hear from experts in the farming community about farm-based climate solutions: which ones have promise, which ones don't, and which ones might have unintended negative ecological or social consequences. Are fishermen and farmers in the same boat when it comes to climate change? Are there clear opportunities to support one another? Attend this webinar to find out!
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Conservative and care about climate change? You have a special role to play.
January 24, 2023 @ 4:00-5:00 pm Eastern
Climate change affects people of every political stripe, but for too long, partisan politics have gotten in the way of solving the problem. We will be joined by Bob Inglis, a former Republican Congressman from South Carolina and the current executive director of republicEn.org, an organization that encourages, emboldens, and advocates for a free-enterprise solution to climate change. Inglis leads republicEn's growing grassroots community of #EcoRight conservatives, a balance to the Environmental Left, who believe in the power of free enterprise and innovation to solve climate change. This online discussion will be of interest to conservative-leaning fishermen AND to non-conservative fishermen who seek to understand the diverse values that motivate different parts of the political spectrum.
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Alaska and the Lower-48: Forging common cause around climate impacts and solutions
January 5, 2023 @ 5:00 - 6:00 pm Eastern
The 2022 closure of several Alaskan crab seasons is the latest climate-induced disruption to rock the U.S.'s #1 seafood-producing state. Meanwhile in the Lower-48, fishermen are grappling with the potentially serious impacts of one of the leading solutions proposed to combat climate change: offshore wind energy development. Both of these trends are not only urgent in their own right, but are symbolic of the kind of tensions and tradeoffs that are likely to become more commonplace as the climate crisis becomes more palpable and the energy transition gets underway. This webinar will foster an inter-regional dialogue among fishermen in Alaska and the Lower-48 around climate change and climate solutions. We will learn how fishermen and their organizations are mobilizing around these urgent issues and discuss how we can best support each other across regions through complementary messaging frameworks and network building.
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Introduction to residential solar energy for commercial fishermen
December 7, 2022 @ 5:00 - 6:00 pm Eastern
Are you curious about the benefits of installing solar panels on your residence or joining a community solar project? Do you want to know how much money you can save or how to take advantage of federal and state tax incentives to save even more? This "Solar 101" webinar is designed especially for members of the commercial fishing and seafood industry. Participants will receive tips and testimonials from fishermen who have already installed solar on their rooftops, and hear from representatives of Energy Sage, an organization that provides customized advice and an online marketplace for installation quotes. Come with questions; we'll have answers you can trust! Join a growing movement of commercial fishermen and seafood businesses who are embracing rooftop solar as a fishery friendly energy alternative. For more information and links to Energy Sage's customized advice for commercial fishermen, visit eatseafoodgosolar.org.