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Tim Cook (Seat G Candidate - Open-Residency)

Seat G – Tim Cook’s Candidate Statement

Stand Tall with … TIM COOK …

You pay tax into BBRSDA on the promise that it will increase the value of the fishery…TO YOU!

Being a BBRSDA Board Member is not about owning the shiniest boat, or being a top fisherman, or being the most talkative in your radio group. It’s about having Board Members with the skills to ensure Members have tangible returns on their BBRSDA investment. That means having business knowledge, financial insight, and genuine enthusiasm for the fishery. They must also be willing to lead confidently and Stand Tall for the Members.

I have the CREDENTIALS: Bachelors (Gig’em Aggies,) Masters in Business, and Juris Doctorate degrees.

I have the EXPERIENCE: I am an attorney, with 25 years of experience going against Insurance Companies, Unfair and Deceptive Businesses, and the Government when it does not follow the law. I served as Governor Hickel’s Associate Director of Fisheries, was Commissioner on the Alaska Public Utilities Commission, served as Director and President of various public service organizations, and worked on the North Slope as a Field Engineer during the go go (go bust) 1980’s…then oil dropped to $10 per barrel.

I have the PASSION. My family has been involved in commercial fishing for 4 generations- I have chased roe herring, halibut, and bottom trawled. Yet, Bristol Bay has been my true passion for three decades.

And, I have GRIT. I stood against a major retailer from mislabeling Alaska Sockeye Salmon; I stood up to Governors who tried to subvert the rule of law; I stood tall against industries that threatened the environment. Standing Tall is not easy, and with your support, I will Stand Tall for SO3T fishermen.

Help me Stand Tall and deliver genuine benefits to our Members!

Call or Text me any time (907) 727-5293.

Stand Tall with TIM COOK

Seat G – Tim Cook’s Responses to Candidate Questionnaire

1. Why do you want to be a BBRSDA board member?
   BBRSDA was formed to MAXIMIZE THE VALUE of the fishery for its MEMBERS. The best way to accomplish this is focusing on issues that most impact the value of the fishery to our Members.

   Every decision, every project, and every investment BBRSDA makes, will be laser focused to maximize the financial return to S03T Drift Permit Holders.

2. What do you think is the most important mission for the BBRSDA and why?

   The most important mission is MAXIMIZING THE VALUE of the fishery to our Members This can be accomplished through:
   
   1. Maximizing the Ex-Vessel price paid to Members.

   2. Increasing the available catch for our Members.

   3. Minimizing expenses to our Members.

3. In your view, what are three priorities the BBRSDA should focus on (within the legal limits referred to above) and why?

   The three highest priorities are: EX-VESSEL PRICE, EX-VESSEL PRICE, EX-VESSEL PRICE!
   
   A. EX-VESSEL PRICE. Ex-vessel price should be the central priority of BBRSDA, because it is the single largest factor influencing the financial return to Permit Holders.

   B. COLLABORATION. By working with other like-minded entities, BBRSDA can reverse the threat of more processor consolidation in the Bay. More competition equates to higher ex-vessel prices.

   C. GLOBAL MARKETING. BBRSDA must team with ASMI to promote Sockeye Salmon worldwide. Asian demand for premium high-value seafood is huge. ASMI has the expertise and the ability to promote Alaska Sockeye to those markets in a way that will drive demand, and command very high retail prices. This will translate into higher ex-vessel prices.

4. The BBRSDA's Strategic Plan lists specific strategies for maximizing the value of the Bristol Bay salmon fishery.  Do you believe those strategies are an effective guide for accomplishing that goal, and if not, how should they be modified?

   Make no mistake, the economic engine driving Bristol Bay is fishermen, and the over-riding issue is obtaining a fair and equitable ex-vessel price.

   Rather than attempting to take on projects that may be laudable, but deliver no financial return to Members, the Strategic Plan must prioritize programs that focus on the issues that impact our Members

   Although there was an increase in ex-vessel prices this season, it is still pathetically low. Think about it: In 1988 fishermen were paid $2.35 lb. That equates to $6.43 lb. in today’s dollars. And those fish were not chilled, not floated, not bled.

   The Strategic Plan must PRIORITIZE PROGRAMS THAT ELEVATE EX-VESSEL PRICES and provide real financial benefits to Drift Permit Holders.

5. Please explain your position on the Pebble Mine project.

   Any large-scale open Pit Mine located in the watershed, whether Pebble or another mining development, is antithetical to the long-term future of the Bristol Bay fishery. 

6. Is there another issue that you would like to respond to?

    “TO MAXIMIZE THE VALUE OF THE BRISTOL BAY FISHERY FOR THE BENEFIT OF ITS MEMBERS…”

   In 2023, fisherman were paid the lowest price in Bristol Bay history. We are recovering from that debacle, but going forward-

   Every decision, every project, and every investment BBRSDA makes, must be laser focused on increasing the value of the fishery for Members.

   -Tim Cook