Former Unalaska mayor Frank Kelty has been appointed to a board that advises the U.S. State Department on issues related to the Bering Sea fisheries. He fills one of two newly vacated seats reserved Alaskans on the 12-person board. Kelty says the group works with its Russian counterpart on fisheries issues in the North Pacific.

“High seas drift nets, joint enforcement issues, things like that. Fishing in the donut hole in the Bering Sea, and boundaries issues would be something that would be looked at. And I know they’ve been working concert with the Russians on many enforcement issues --  pirate fishing vessels. So, I would think those are some of the issues that would be worked on.”

Kelty brings more than 30 years of fisheries experience to the position. Before his current job as Natural Resource Analyst for the City of Unalaska, he worked as a plant manager for Alyeska Seafoods and East Point Seafoods. Kelty says his appointment will hopefully benefit coastal communities across Alaska, including Unalaska.

“Things we can do to improve what goes on in international waters that would impact returns of fish to our area, or to Alaska and to the west coast would be very important.”

The other seat on the Bering Sea Fisheries Advisory Board went to Dan Hull, a commercial fisherman from Anchorage.