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Metlakatla Mayor Victor Wellington, who has been a commercial fisherman for 45 years, introduced the proposal because of this summer's low salmon prices, he said. The state has made disaster declarations because of low salmon returns in Western Alaska, but ignored Southeast fishermen, he said.

"Doesn't the collapse of the timber industry make it more important to fight for the fishing fleet?" he asked.

"I've talked to fishermen that couldn't afford to pay their crewmen after the season was over," he said.

Kake Vice Mayor Henrick Kadake, who has fished all his life, said the mayors' decision to ask for a disaster declaration was a good start.

"It's something that needs to be looked at because we've been passed over too many times," he said. "At 4 cents a pound and you've got a 300,000-pound quota on pinks, you can't make very much. It was a combination of everything."

Craig Mayor Dennis Watson, also a commercial fisherman, said the number of seine boats tied up at his community's harbor was drastically smaller this year. Low prices have had a "profound" effect on his town, he said.

"We got hit by timber, we got hit by fish, we got hit by 9-11. One, two, three," he said. "We have people with boat payments they can't make."

Julie Hammonds, a Knowles spokeswoman, said today the governor hadn't received the request yet. "When we do, we'll consider it seriously like we do all requests for disaster aid."

The governor's office looks at how many people are affected, how drastically they are affected, and whether a disaster declaration is the best response, Hammonds said.

Knowles in late August declared an economic disaster in Western Alaska because of low salmon prices, and asked for federal help.

Nearly 90 percent of Western Alaska's economic base derives from fishing and processing, the state said.

In response to the disaster, Knowles waived reductions in some families' public assistance payments, allowed more people to get food stamps, and offered state help to Native organizations with a general relief program.

A state declaration of an economic disaster is required before the state can ask for federal help.

Knowles, in letters to President Bush and U.S. Sen. Ted Stevens, an Alaska Republican, said the state and federal governments should look for "major structural reform designed to promote economic diversification and the long-term viability of the fishing industry."

He suggested eliminating overcapitalization in the fishing industry, trade policies "that ensure that the Alaska fishing industry has a fair opportunity to compete in domestic and world markets," and the sort of federal aid and price supports that farmers get.

The Southeast mayors, meeting in Craig during the annual meeting of the Southeast Conference, also approved a resolution opposing British Columbia's decision last week to lift a moratorium on new fish farms. And they asked the Southeast Conference, an organization of regional business and community leaders, to establish a committee to address fishing issues.

Joanna Markell can be reached at joannam@juneauempire.com.