‘No fish and no hope’: Poor sockeye salmon run takes a toll on Chignik
As of Friday afternoon, the sockeye escapement in the Chignik salmon fishery was less than half of what it usually is this time of the year.
commercial fishing
Don Young’s bill to revise Magnuson-Stevens fishing law passes U.S. House
The Alaska congressman says fisheries management councils need more flexibility to keep stocks sustainable for commercial fisheries.
NTSB: Ice accumulation likely led to fatal sinking of fishing boat in Bering Sea
The Seattle-based vessel Destination sank Feb. 11, 2017, near St. George Island with six people on board.
Alaska-based Coast Guard cutter detains Chinese-flagged vessel for suspected illegal fishing
The captain of the vessel was fishing with driftnets up to 5.6 miles in length, the Coast Guard said, and there were 80 tons of chum salmon on board.
Study: Alaska salmon gillnet fishermen face high rate of health issues
Research by the University of Washington School of Public Health and Alaska Sea Grant found higher rates of hearing loss and rotator cuff problems than in the general population.
Dismal Copper River salmon run prompts ‘unprecedented’ shutdown of dipnetting at Chitina
Biologists blame the "Blob" of warm water in the Gulf of Alaska for poor sockeye returns that also led to the second lowest commercial harvest in 50 years.
Alaska crab shell extracts are being used to aid crop production and protect game meat from spoiling
The young Tidal Vision entrepreneurs of Juneau continue to expand their line of “upcycled” products made from a crab shell extract called chitosan.
Financial outlook sunny for salmon fishermen, plus commercial salmon openers around the state
More salmon fisheries around the state will start kicking off within days, with other areas in Prince William Sound opening on May 31.
Officials want to know how changes to fisheries rules affect Alaska’s fishing families
The way that fisheries are managed determines the daily tempo for fishing families’ lives.
Here’s how Alaska fishery managers expect this salmon season to play out
The first 12-hour opener is on May 17 for sockeyes and kings returning to the Copper River.
Study: Of 204 U.S. fishermen who died falling overboard, none wore a flotation device
Nearly 60 percent of the falls from 2000 through 2016 were not witnessed, and almost 90 percent of the victims were not found.
Funding for Alaska’s commercial fisheries division in good shape, with $300K going to chinook project
Other projects back on the funding track include Southeast and Togiak herring research, westward salmon weirs, Southeast sablefish research and Prince William Sound Tanner crab.
Upper Cook Inlet’s commercial herring, smelt fisheries pay big bucks to fishermen
Two commercial fisheries open each spring at Upper Cook Inlet that attract little notice and few participants, but each pays big bucks to fishermen.
Value of Alaska halibut catch shares declines; Bering Sea crab season wraps up
Alaska halibut is facing strong headwinds that have dampened the value of the catch shares needed to go fishing.
Alaska salmon permit values stall amid lackluster catch forecast
Spring is usually the busiest time of year for brokers in the buy/sell/trade business for Alaska salmon permits. But that’s not the case this year.
Southeast Alaska fishermen illegally caught $35,000 worth of sea cucumbers, troopers say
Other cucumber divers reported them after seeing big hauls at the dock but not seeing the boat on legal waters.
Suggested catches of Pacific halibut decrease this year
As expected, catches of Pacific halibut will decrease for this year, and likely into the foreseeable future.
U.S., Canada fail to agree on cuts to annual halibut harvest
It was a rare failure of negotiations by the six-person commission that regulates the catch of the prized flatfish pursued by sport, commercial and tribal fishermen in waters off California, Oregon, Washington, British Columbia and Alaska.
Sea otters are wiping out Southeast dive fisheries, managers say
As the sea otter population increases and moves north, it's devastating the shellfish industry in Southeast, according to experts.
Alaska commercial fisherman who robbed creeks of spawning salmon forfeits boat and gear
The fisherman was “creek robbing,” a term that describes when commercial fishing is done illegally at the mouths of salmon streams, a prosecutor said.