Background Articles

Sitka had an early bloom that led to high shellfish toxins in April, and there is currently a paralytic shellfish toxin advisory across Southeast for recreational and subsistence harvest.

A new study reports that Atlantic salmon exposed to the anti-anxiety drug clobazam during migration became bolder, passing through hydropower dams faster, though this behavior might increase predation risk later.

Salmon advocates have raised concerns over declining salmon numbers, blaming an oversupply of hatchery-reared fish that overwhelms natural stocks and disrupts ocean ecosystems.

A new study from Kodiak’s NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center links ocean acidification to a significant decline in red king crab populations in the Bering Sea, challenging the view that warming is the primary stressor.

Long-term data from eight coastal stations over the past 90 years shows that Norwegian coastal waters have warmed by up to 2°C, impacting local fisheries and marine life.

Data collected over 90 years shows that Norwegian coastal water temperatures have increased by up to 2°C, a shift that is impacting marine ecosystems and local fishing practices.

Proposals have been submitted to the Alaska Board of Fisheries to establish a commercial jig fishery for magister squid in Southeast Alaska, potentially benefiting local fishermen and affecting marine ecosystems.

A study identifies shrinking salmon size as a factor affecting Chinook salmon productivity in Alaska's Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers, impacted by conditions like extreme temperatures and high runoff.

The 2024 Pacific halibut fishing season has ended with below-average catches and fish sizes across Alaska's fisheries. The decreasing size of halibut poses a threat to their population, as smaller females produce significantly fewer eggs, raising concerns for future stock sustainability.

The Bristol Bay sockeye salmon run exceeded forecasts in 2024, but fishermen earned lower-than-expected profits due to smaller fish sizes and poor market conditions.

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.

“Fishing has been very good for the [Bristol Bay red king crab] fleet this season and the crab delivered so far has been of high quality — new shell, large size, good meat-fill,” said Alaska Department of Fish and Game Area Management Biologist Ethan Nichols.

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

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

A family with a 70-year history of setting nets in Cook Inlet has observed significant changes in salmon size and population, with a notable decrease in average earnings for fishermen.

These worms, present in halibut, cod, salmon and other saltwater fish, are increasing. If the worms are well frozen or cooked, they don’t pose a health threat.

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.

Juneau's king salmon fishery will be closed this summer due to low hatchery returns caused by a 2020 landslide that disrupted the freshwater supply and forced premature salmon release.

An increase in chum salmon in the Canadian Arctic, potentially linked to climate change, may be the same fish missing from Western Alaska, raising ecological concerns.