APICDA’s purpose is to develop stable local economies in each of our member communities. Stable economies require three conditions:

• Sufficient infrastructure to anchor and support local businesses;

• Sufficient access to, and ownership of, raw material resources to supply and sustain local business ventures; and

• Sufficient financial resources to acquire raw material resources and weather the vagaries of natural resource and economic fluctuations.

Without sufficient infrastructure, business ventures either are not viable or are severely limited by the lack of support facilities such as docks and harbors. As infrastructure is added, access to the community is enhanced. Once there is a means of access, then raw materials have a way to enter the community and production can commence. With production come support services to supply and meet other needs. Infrastructure serves as the foundation for an economy, but it does not guarantee one. That requires resources and raw material.

Without raw material there can be no production. Without a known and sufficient supply of raw material there is no consistency in production – costs escalate and the viability of the enterprise is weakened. With a common property resource, raw material is most available to the biggest and most voracious. Rationalized fisheries generate stability with known quantities (subject to biological changes) of raw material available to quota holders. In order for a stable local economy to develop and sustain it in the APICDA region, the core business – the processing operation – must own or hold sufficient raw material. That requires financial resources.

It costs a lot of money to construct in the APICDA region. It costs a lot of money to operate in the APICDA region. It will cost even more money to purchase sufficient raw material rights to supply village based processing operations.

Before APICDA and the CDQ program, none of the three ingredients referenced above were present in our communities. APICDA’s program has been community based since the inception of the program – “community based” in that we will build and construct and operate in our communities. We have never changed our focus.

The greatest benefit we can provide our communities is economic development and stability.

The proceeding pages will tell you more about the ventures in which we are involved.