08/17/2026
A Clarification About the IFA Fish/Game Fee 🐟
We’ve seen some recent discussion regarding the IFA’s $20 fish/game fee, and we want to provide some additional context, clear up a few misunderstandings, and acknowledge an error on our part.
First, let’s address the error.
Our Summer 2026 Timetable states that the first fish box is free. That information is incorrect.
That language should have been removed when the fee changed and was missed during the preparation of this year’s timetable. It was a simple human error, and we sincerely apologize for the confusion it caused.
What is the current policy?
Fish/game boxes, coolers, or totes traveling from Hollis to Ketchikan are $20 each when being used to transport fish or game.
Empty fish boxes, coolers, and totes are not charged.
There is no fish/game fee when traveling from Ketchikan to Hollis.
Why does the fee exist?
During our busy fishing season, the IFA can transport a significant number of fish boxes on a single sailing.
Managing that volume requires staging space, equipment, staff time, and car deck space. On particularly busy sailings, our forklift and staged fish boxes occupy space that would otherwise be available for passenger vehicles.
The fee was established by the IFA Board of Directors in response to the operational impact of transporting that volume of fish and game.
It was not established as an “export fee,” a tax on locally harvested food, or a fee designed to penalize Southeast Alaska residents.
We are a public ferry system operated by people who live in the communities we serve. We understand very well that fish and game are an important part of life in Southeast Alaska. They're in our freezers, on our dinner tables, shared between friends and family, and an important part of how many of us live.
Why Hollis to Ketchikan, but not Ketchikan to Hollis?
This is one of the questions we've seen, and it's a fair one!
The fee reflects the actual transportation pattern we experience.
The overwhelming volume of fish and game transported aboard the IFA moves from Prince of Wales Island to Ketchikan, particularly during the busy fishing season. That is where we experience the operational impacts the fee was created to address.
The same volume simply does not move in the opposite direction.
What about the 100-pound baggage allowance?
Our regular passenger baggage allowance and the Fish/Game Box Policy are separate policies.
The 100-pound allowance establishes how much regular personal baggage a passenger may bring aboard. The Fish/Game Box Policy addresses a specific category of items that, collectively, create a significant operational impact during our busiest season.
Being within the regular baggage allowance does not eliminate other applicable fees or requirements.
We welcome the conversation.
We know not everyone will agree with every IFA policy or fee, and that's okay.
We welcome questions, criticism, and feedback about the way we operate. Those conversations give us opportunities to explain why policies exist, identify where our communication could be clearer, and consider whether changes should be brought forward in the future.
In this case, the conversation also brought an error in our Summer Timetable to our attention. That error is ours, and we own it.
For now, the current Fish/Game Box Policy remains in effect. If you have questions about the policy or whether it applies to something you're traveling with, please contact us before your sailing. We're always happy to help clarify.
Thank you for riding with the IFA. 💙⛴️
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