Background Articles

“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.

A severe storm in Kotzebue, Alaska, caused significant flooding, displacing 80 people and damaging critical infrastructure, including roads and the airport.

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.

The unusually hot summer weather in the Moscow region this year may trigger an increase in populations of invertebrate species, the regional Environmental Ministry said this week.

ADF&G has confirmed the spread of the invasive European green crab in Alaska, urging increased monitoring and public awareness to mitigate its destructive impact on local ecosystems.

Adult abundance “well below” fishery thresholds on both beaches. This outcome was not unanticipated, as the department said when opening the fishery in Ninilchik last year that adult abundance met necessary thresholds for allowing harvest — at least meeting or exceeding 50% of the historical average — but juvenile abundance was low, meaning there would likely not be enough adult clams this year or next.

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.

Invasive species like green crabs and choke cherry trees are causing environmental and economic harm in Alaska.

While blue mussels are a traditional source of subsistence food in Unalaska, in recent years, reduced numbers and concerns about paralytic shellfish poisoning, or PSP, have limited the amount locals can safely harvest.

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

Knik Tribe data reveals high levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning toxin in some Alaskan subsistence shellfish harvests, with variability in toxin levels across different locations.