fishing is important here. there are big boats that catch lots and lots of fish that end up in stores or in food made from fish. there are also lots of small boats where people fish for their own food or just for fun. a lot of the big boats are owned by people who don't live on southwest alaska. kodiak and unalaska are two of the most important fishing ports in the united states. they make a lot of money from catching salmon, trout, king crab, and halibut. because so many of the big boats are owned by companies or people from outside southwest alaska most of the fish and the money they make from it does not stay in the area.