Background Articles

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.

Alaska's commercial salmon harvest in 2024 hit the third lowest recorded since 1985 both in fish quantity and financial returns.

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.

Alaska's seafood industry is facing significant challenges due to climate change, geopolitical factors, and economic pressures. Efforts to address these issues are underway, but solutions are complex and require substantial investment and policy change.

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

Bethel high school students in the Alaska Native Science and Engineering Program have taken up magnet fishing, retrieving over 50 bikes and various other items from Brown's Slough.

Researchers believe that if permafrost thaw continues at its current rate and mercury keeps being released, it could pose a real threat to many communities throughout northern and western Alaska.

Alaska's largest sockeye salmon run exceeded expectations in numbers but featured the smallest fish on record, posing challenges for commercial harvest.