Background Articles

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

Recent surveys reveal that chum salmon face challenges during winter in the Gulf of Alaska, with conditions like marine heatwaves affecting their diet and survival, leading to increased mortality rates.

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.

Sea ice loss, warming waters and the northward expansion of fish species like pollock are all contributing to a pattern in the Bering Strait region known as “borealization.” That means the Arctic ecosystem is becoming more like the boreal region to the south.

Rep. Mary Peltola discusses the challenges facing Alaska's fisheries, including declining salmon populations and the impact on subsistence and commercial fishing, during her visit to Bethel for the Cama-i Dance Festival.

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.

Scientists are investigating the widespread presence of paralytic shellfish toxins in Alaska's marine food chain, which may explain recent species die-offs.

A study by the Alaska Environment Research and Policy Center found microplastics in all water samples from Southcentral Alaska, indicating widespread contamination.

Peter Pan's King Cove plant closure during the winter will impact local revenue and fishermen, amid industry-wide financial struggles and delayed payments.

In the much-higher water temperatures that lingered in the 2014-19 period, juvenile chum salmon metabolism was super-charged, meaning they needed more food, said the study, by scientists with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration and the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. But the food that was available was of low quality — things like jellyfish instead of the fatpacked krill and other prey they normally eat, the study said.

Due to declining salmon returns, Russia may halt commercial salmon fisheries next year to protect the species. This drastic reduction has raised concerns about the sustainability of the fisheries and the need for conservation measures. The situation is so dire that the salmon catch in 2021 was the lowest in the last 16 years, and projections for the 2024-2026 period suggest a continued downward trend.

Residents in Western Alaska are experiencing a salmon crisis that is not only affecting their physical health due to the lack of exercise from salmon harvesting, but also their mental health and cultural well-being, as salmon harvesting is seen as a vital part of their way of life and recovery from substance abuse.

An extreme outbreak of salmon lice in Iceland has resulted in an average of 96 lice found on each salmon, causing outrage and protests against Norwegian fish farming companies.

The EPA plans to limit or eliminate a chemical commonly used in car tires, known as 6PPD, after it was found to be fatal to salmon in preliminary Alaska sampling, in response to a petition from Native Tribes and several states, but the rulemaking process is expected to take years.

A minimum of 42,500 chinook are supposed to get to their Canadian spawning waters to meet conservation goals. Only 15,300 of those fish made it to Eagle, near the Yukon border.

The increase in pink salmon population in warmer waters is negatively impacting the food chain and causing a decline in other species in the North Pacific Ocean, according to a new study.

The Kenai borough Assembly has passed a resolution asking the governor to declare an economic disaster for set-netters on the east side of Cook Inlet in Alaska, due to the closure of the fishery this year resulting in significant economic losses.

Amid declining salmon runs, Coastal Villages Region Fund has shifted away from subsidizing village-based seafood processing. Coastal Villages used to pursue that mission in large part by operating smaller commercial fisheries for salmon and halibut. Each year, the fishing season was an opportunity to earn wages at the group’s processing facilities or for local fishermen to earn cash selling their catch — an economic lifeline for many families in one of the state’s poorest regions.