Opportunity could lie out in the waters of the Bering Sea. That's why members of the Alaska Arctic Policy Commission met for the second time this summer in Unalaska to discuss Alaska's role in leading the way in shaping the United State's arctic policy.
"There's a lot of conversation about the northern sea route going over the top of Russia, through the Bering Strait, and then to wherever those ships are going to go, that population of ships is definitely increasing," said Rep. Bob Herron (D-Bethel).
Herron and Anchorage Senator Lesil McGuire (R-Anchorage) chair the commission. They say deep water ports are vital to handle the increased maritime traffic, along with the ability to conduct search and rescue and environmental disaster response.
"In 2007 when the Northwest Passage opened for the first time, cruise ships visited Point Hope, without anyone there to clear people through customs, and came on land and started picking up artifacts," said McGuire.
Though technically not located in the arctic, Unalaska was chosen for the conference because it's home to an anchor system which can bring in a vessel that's astray or without power and the community ranks as one of the world's largest fisheries, which Herron says will only grow if ships can gain access to the top of the world.
"People don't realize for the fishing business, in a different way this is like Prudhoe Bay, it's big it's industrial, it provides many jobs," said Herron.
It's too early to say if and when these projections of an arctic boom will come to fruition, but policy members say when it happens they want the state to be ready, and Alaskans to benefit.
Contact Adam Pinsker