Alaskans from across the state rallied in a tremendous grass-roots effort over the past year to deliver humanitarian aid to Magadan, Chukotka, Kamchatka, Sakha and other areas. Alaska Eskimos have sent fishing nets, outboard motors, winter gear and other supplies to help Chukotka natives carry on their traditional subsistence lifestyles. All these activities have not been without problems. We have seen shipments held up by customs. We have witnessed humanitarian aid end up in warehouses instead of being distributed.
Financing is an enormous problem for business.
And the overall economic situation has frightened the faint of heart or those whose small and medium sized companies, which may not have the means to withstand and overcome tough economic times. Last year, in 1998, Alaska trade to the Russian Far East declined slightly from 1997 following the August crisis. Unfortunately, it has declined more in the first quarter of this year.