By Steve Williams

Haines fishermen and support businesses will share more than $500,000 in compensation for the closure of Glacier Bay National Park to commercial fishing.

Amounts to be paid to 15 local halibut fishermen total $205,583, with individual payments ranging from $286 to $47,933.

Commercial fishing was phased out of Glacier Bay in l998. Only a portion of the bay remains open to those qualified for nontransferable lifetime permits.

Congress authorized $23 million in compensation to fishermen, crewmembers and processing workers, businesses and communities that relied on Glacier Bay fisheries.

Fisherman Mike Saunders, who fished Glacier Bay for seven years and will receive approximately $35,000, called his settlement fair. "For the halibut skipper, it’s a far better settlement than they originally proposed."

The federal government is dividing $4 million among Glacier Bay halibut fishermen, nearly double an earlier proposal.

But Saunders, who can continue to fish the same area he fished in qualifying for the payout, said the settlement program isn’t perfect.

"They based it in $1.50 per pound halibut, and you get a lot more now."

Retiree Betty Holgate said she was "pleasantly surprised" with her and husband Don’s tentative settlement. They’ll receive approximately $57,000 based on income they’ll lose by not being able to lease their three Glacier Bay crab permits to a Petersburg highliner.

The Petersburg fisherman they leased their permits to is in line to receive more than $383,000 in Glacier Bay compensation.

Holgate said while it sounds like a lot of money, the settlement reflects lost future income. "I can’t impress on you enough the amount of hoop-jumping that went into this. It’s a lot of money, but they won’t be able to fish Glacier Bay again."

Local airline Air Excursions, which between l991 and l998, seven of the nine qualifying years, flew crab and other seafood caught in Glacier Bay from Gustavus to Juneau for shipment south on Alaska Airlines, will receive $90,000.

Owner Mike Loverink said the settlement will enable his company to grow this summer. "We’ll invest it in airplanes. Right now we’re leasing five planes, but we want to increase to seven this year, and we’re going to try to get out of some of the leasing if we can."

The City of Haines is in line to receive $72,717 in community compensation and up to $20,181 in lost fish tax revenue, depending on an appeal by the City of Pelican.

The city could lose some of that if the park service determines that Pelican deserves a larger share of the settlement set aside for communities. "Pelican Seafoods is the 800-pound gorilla. If they get their reports in, there will be changes to the community compensation settlements," said administrator Ron Dick.

The Haines Borough did not apply for compensation, giving up the job to the city with an agreement that whatever funds are gained are spent on Small Boat Harbor expansion. "We determined that the city was the municipality that should apply, because the city controls the harbor," Dick said

Wards Cove Packing Company, which owns the Excursion Inlet cannery will receive approximately $112,000 in compensation for future lost halibut landings.

Combined public and private Glacier Bay compensation to Haines is approximately $565,000. Other settlements by category include: three support businesses, $113,422, six crewmen, $30,294, two processors, $8,082; and two dungeness crabbers, $24,643. Individual settlements are posted on the NPS website: www.nps.gov/glba.

City manager Marco Pignalberi said the money will be a big boost to the local economy. "It’s probably the equivalent of having ten cruise ships hit town. I didn’t think it was going to be that much. I’m generally an optimist, and this is making me more so."

City councilor Chip Lende said the settlements should help the local industry face an unstable future. "Fishermen have had a tough time the past couple years making improvements and this will enable them do that. It will help them as the industry changes and they expand and go into marketing. Hopefully at least some of money will go back into the industry, so they can better respond to the changing economics around here. I don’t think you’re going to see them all going out and buying new pickup trucks."

NPS administrator Dick said he been barraged with angry calls after the tentative compensation settlements were posted on the Internet late last week.

He said rumors and complaints, including some from successful applicants, are flying. "This whole thing has been a study in human nature. If somebody just gave me $60,000 and I complained about it, I’d spend the money on therapy."

"A lot of people are mad because they didn’t get compensation or somebody else did, and there’s some crazy stuff going around. I tell them they don’t need to rely on what they hear in the bar, they just need to look it up on the website."

The appeal period ends June 4. Dick said he didn’t know when payments would be electronically transferred to successful applicants.