Background Articles

The 4 million deaths of common murres during the intense marine heatwave was the biggest wildlife toll in modern history, the study says

A University of Alaska Fairbanks study links king salmon decline in the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers to climate change impacts such as warming temperatures, which decrease salmon body size and breeding efficiency.

A dead fin whale washed up near downtown Anchorage, attracting hundreds of onlookers while scientists study it to learn more about the whale's life and death.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game's preliminary report for 2024 shows a record low in Norton Sound's commercial fishery, with an exvessel value of $146,326 from a salmon harvest of 21,490. Statewide salmon harvests declined by 56% from the previous year.

The seafood industry around the world has faced market turmoil. Few Alaska communities have been hit harder than King Cove.

The long-term decline is believed to be due to the accumulated effects of fishing and unfavourable environmental conditions, such as high sea temperatures, according to the findings of independent experts based on Erpur Snær's data, who has been monitoring puffins for a long time.

Applications for relief funds from Alaska's 2019 and 2020 crab fisheries disasters are now open, with $13 million allocated for the Bering Sea Tanner crab fishery.

A petition to list king salmon as endangered in Alaska faces opposition due to concerns about its impact on local fisheries and management practices.

Experts decided that during the fishing season, red fish in the water area of the Anadyr estuary can be caught only two days a week. It was decided to introduce a large number of passing days to preserve the chum salmon population spawning in this basin.

The Grey-headed chickadee found in the far north of Yukon and Alaska was listed as endangered this month, and experts say the bird is so rare that it's hard to estimate its numbers. The decline might be related to competition as Boreal Chickadees are moving north because of climate change.

This article examines the unique spread of bird flu across multiple animal species, marking an unusual animal pandemic.

The plant, formerly owned by Peter Pan Seafood Company, is the economic engine for the Alaska Peninsula community. 

An AP investigation reveals that political disputes and blame fears halted the search for COVID-19's origins in China, contradicting public claims of ongoing efforts.

A study attributes the nearly 50% growth of caribou herds in B.C. and Alberta to controversial wolf culls, which may need to continue for decades.

Federal regulators have significantly reduced the Western Arctic caribou harvest limit for local subsistence hunters from five animals per day to 15 per year, with only one cow allowed, due to the herd's continued decline and low cow survival rates. Non-local hunting is banned until the herd recovers.

Eider populations along the Norwegian coast have declined by up to 80%, with a nationwide decrease of 35-40%, and the reasons remain unknown.

The years-long debate is taking on increasing urgency as subsistence harvesting bans continue and the policy responses under consideration threaten to impose steep costs on the industry.

Canada and Alaska have agreed to a seven-year fishing moratorium on Yukon River chinook salmon to aid the species' recovery, following years of declining numbers.

Alaska's Yukon River residents feel neglected by a new Canada-U.S. agreement aimed at rebuilding salmon stocks, as the pact requires a seven-year fishing halt that exacerbates their economic and cultural struggles.

The poultry industry dreads avian influenza, but migratory and sea birds are succumbing to the virus in alarming numbers. Concern is rising not only about avian health but also about human health. How are our warming winters factoring into the problem?