On January 20, 2011, YRAA was formed at a Yakutat Fishermen’s Alliance meeting by a group of commercial fishermen. On September 6, 2011, the commissioner recognized YRAA as the qualified regional association for the Yakutat Region. By May 2012, YRAA had a duly elected Board of Directors and was fully operational as a RAA. According to the by-laws adopted by YRAA, the board shall consist of 7 to 25 board members at least 19 years of age with at least 51% of the board seats representing commercial fishermen. In 2012, the YRAA Board finished electing a 15 member board of directors consisting of 51% commercial – split between 4 - set gillnet, 2- hand and 2- power troll permit holders who were active in the previous year in the fishery in the Yakutat region. The remaining 7 members of the board consist of representatives of other groups directly affected by the salmon industry including: one subsistence fishermen; one representative of the sports fishery; one representative of regional or village corporation under Alaska Native Interest Land Conservation Act (ANILCA) or a shareholder; one representative from the municipality or Chamber of Commerce; one representative of the processing industry; and two representatives from the public at large. All directors terms of office are three (3) years, and these terms are staggered so that no more than five (5) director’s terms expire in any one year.
