Guest Editorial: More than oil

Alaskans know the importance of oil to the state's economy and state government coffers.

No question. Oil is huge.

But with all the talk of oil, it's easy to overlook other parts of Alaska's economy.

Commercial fisheries, for example. Fisheries anchored many Alaska communities years before the start of oil production. And they've continued to do so after oil began flowing through the pipeline.

The continuing economic contribution of fisheries is perhaps more apparent in coastal Alaska communities, such as Ketchikan, than in the Railbelt and other areas that rely more heavily on the oil industr...