Fourteen Alaska fisheries have been declared federal disasters by the U.S. Secretary of Commerce. Gina Raimondo issued the declarations on Jan. 21. The announcement includes Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta salmon fisheries, and could lead to federal funding for fishermen.

Chum returns are the lowest on record, leaving communities with empty freezers and uncertainty about getting through the winter.

Bristol Bay’s 2021 sockeye run is the largest on record: 63.2 million fish have returned to the bay, breaking the 2018 record of 62.9 million.

As of July 21, fishermen in Bristol Bay’s five districts had harvested just more than 42 million salmon.