Background Articles

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?

Subsistence hunters living in Northwest Alaska and parts of the North Slope are now only allowed to hunt up to 15 animals a year, only one of which can be a cow. This is a considerable change from five caribou a day, and it goes into effect on state-managed lands on July 1.

Alaska's predator control measures and wildlife management strategies are under scrutiny as tensions rise over state and federal jurisdiction, with calls for more inclusive decision-making and realistic goals amidst rapid climate change.

The Icelandic gyrfalcon population is at its lowest, with many nests empty, likely due to a higher than estimated impact of bird flu.

The Western Arctic Caribou Herd continues to decline, now at about a third of its 2003 population, with hunting restrictions likely as part of conservation efforts.

Climate change is worsening the planet’s biodiversity crises, making environments more deadly for thousands of species and accelerating the precipitous decline…

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.

Steller sea lions are the most affected by human activities in Alaska, leading to hundreds of deaths, primarily due to entanglement in fishing gear.

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.

Wildlife surveys in southwest Yukon have shown a 'concerning' decline in the number of Dall sheep — and biologists say recent snowy winters may be to blame.