Posted June 13, 2024
AMCC’s work is made possible thanks to the support of many hardworking and caring individuals, businesses and foundations who share with us a concern for the health of our oceans and wild fisheries and the ways of life they sustain.
RJ Kopchack // Cordova, Alaska
Member Since 2004
RJ Kopchak recently started his term as AMCC’s Board Chair. We’re grateful for the expertise he brings to the organization and his twenty year commitment to our mission. We asked him recently why he values AMCC. Here’s what he had to say, in his own words...
What inspired you to become an AMCC member?
I became a part of Alaska’s ocean economy when I started crewing on a halibut boat in 1974. I fell in love with the fishing life and have watched as science, management, harvest and ocean productivity have changed over time.
Why do you think AMCC’s work is important?
The key to healthy oceans and fisheries is management policies driven by science, but unfortunately, these decisions are being driven by industry. Understanding the interrelationships of science, management, habitat and harvest is critical to the sustainable use of our ocean resources. AMCC’s staff is immersed in advocacy efforts that bring this whole system thinking and science-based management solutions before decision makers.
What would you tell someone to encourage them to become a member today?
I would tell them that this invaluable service requires our financial support and engagement - AMCC can’t do it alone. This is why I’m a sustaining donor, with an easy and automatic monthly contribution. I encourage you to do the same. Conserving our marine environment, and the economies dependent on our ocean resources is a year-round job. Let’s keep AMCC working full time!
We’re honored to count RJ as a member and thank him for his leadership. If you value AMCC, please join our Tide Pool Monthly Giving Club or make a one-time gift at akmarine.org. Thank you!
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