FISH Act Passes in Senate, Will Strengthen US Policy Against Illegal Foreign Seafood Harvests

Last Tuesday, Senators Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) saw their legislation against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing pass the full Senate as part of the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) introduced last July.

The Fighting Foreign Illegal Seafood Harvest (FISH) Act, co-sponsored by Sens. Murkowski (R-AK), Wicker (R-MS), Graham (R-SC), Merkley (D-OR), Blunt (D-DE), Coons (D-DE), and Kennedy (R-LA), would combat foreign illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing...

The Winding Glass: Alaska Fisheries Face Crisis due to Gov’t Shutdown

December is the most important meeting of the year for the North Pacific Fishery Management Council. Quotas are set for all Alaskan species under federal management, with the pollock and cod fisheries beginning the following month. Federal staff are furloughed, data work has stopped, and NMFS warns that a shutdown lasting more than two weeks could force precautionary quotas or missed deadlines for next year’s TACs. The shutdown is now approaching 30 days.

This disruption comes on top of the already severe erosion of NOAA personnel...

Les Hodges: New Season Alaska King and Snow Crab Quotas Announced!

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game released advisory announcements this past week showing gains across three major species of crab. Red king crab increased by 16%, Tanner (bairdi) jumped by 113%, and opilio snow crab increased by 97%! There was even a hybrid snow crab that will be harvested during the Opilio harvest. With fishing opening on October 15, buyers can expect Alaska red king and Tanner snow crab just in time for the holiday market.

Meanwhile, Norwegian frozen red king crab shipments through September reached 1.7 million...

Forrer Loses Final Appeal on Mismanagement of Yukon-Kuskokwim Chum and King Salmon

Last Friday, the Alaska Supreme Court upheld a lower-court decision that dismissed a case brought by Juneau resident and longtime Yukon and Kuskokwim River fisherman Eric Forrer in 2023. 

Forrer, a long-time Alaska resident, brought the suit in 2022, charging the Alaska Department of Fish and Game of violating the state Constitution’s mandate that “Fish, forests, wildlife, grasslands, and all other replenishable resources belonging to the State shall be utilized, developed, and maintained on the sustained yield principle, subject to preferences among beneficial uses...

Salmon Bycatch Reduction Efforts Use AI in Bering Sea Pollock Fishery

Meet YOLOv11, a model used to detect and identify salmon bycatch in the pollock trawl fishery in the Bering Sea. YOLOv11, which stands for You Only Look Once, version 11, was highly accurate and accomplished it more quickly than humans can.

Scientists at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center customized it to detect and identify both pollock and salmon in fishing nets. This allows scientists to semi-automate the video review process used to evaluate the effectiveness of bycatch reduction devices. They can also observe fish behavior to improve...

Quick Response During Storm Saves Circle Seafood’s Processing Barge in SE Alaska

During an intense storm last Monday, the Circle I, a freezer barge owned by Circle Seafoods of Aberdeen, WA, broke its mooring shortly after noon Alaska time. Within four hours, the 382-foot barge was secured and towed to a more sheltered location. Tuesday, less than 24 hours later, the barge was being towed to Ketchikan for repairs.  

The first notice from the Metlakatla Indian Community was sent by Mayor Albert Smith at 1:45 p.m. on Monday...

SE Alaska Red King Crab Season Opens November 1, Thanks to New Board of Fish Policy

Crab fishermen in Southeast Alaska will have an opportunity to begin harvesting highly sought-after red king crab this fall due to a significant policy shift in management approved by the state last February.  

The change allows a fishery to open under new management rules even if surveys show that the available biomass is less than the long-standing minimum threshold of 200,000 lbs.

The announcement from Alaska's Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) is for a regionwide guideline harvest level (GHL)...

On Eve Of US-Russia Summit, Five Chinese Research Ships at Work in US Arctic Waters 

An unprecedented five scientific research vessels from the People’s Republic of China, including one Chinese icebreaker, are being monitored by the U.S. Coast Guard on the eve of an historic summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage tomorrow. 

Arctic research is not on the agenda for the high-level meeting, now set to take place at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, just north of Anchorage’s downtown area...

USCG Rescues Four Crew From Sinking Vessel in Gulf of Alaska

Last Tuesday, US Coast Guard rescued four crewmen from a 110-foot vessel described as a “tug” about 130 miles south of Cordova, AK. The four crew, brought by helicopter to Cordova’s medical facilities, sustained no injuries.  

The Coast Guard’s first radio communication was received at around 10:17 a.m. on August 5 that the 110-foot “tug” Sea Ranger was taking on water. Rescue teams were dispatched immediately and reached the vessel by early afternoon. The crew initially reported no immediate danger, and a pump was delivered...

Two Days Into a Special Session, Dunleavy Issues Sweeping Reforms to Alaska State Government

On Monday, Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy issued two Administrative Orders intended to improve state budget efficiencies and reform regulatory procedures. 

Administrative Order #359 begins a “statewide annual Government Efficiency Review”  of all agencies within the executive branch to identify, evaluate, and implement opportunities for greater efficiency and cost-effectiveness. 

“State revenues are contingent on the price of oil,” Dunleavy explained in the Order. This year oil revenues are falling “due to global events such as OPEC’s December 2024 decision to increase output...

ALFA Gets NFWF Grant to Test Using AI to Read Electronic Monitoring Data for AK's Fixed Gear Fishers

Sitka-based Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association will partner with the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC) and Victoria, B.C.-based Archipelago Marine Research to see how well artificial intelligence (AI) will enhance electronic monitoring (EM) of fixed gear fisheries in the Gulf of Alaska. 

ALFA was awarded a $485,000 grant from the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation (NFWF) to implement artificial Intelligence in electronic monitoring review for Alaska fixed gear fishermen. The project will partner with Archipelago’s FishVue AI tool...

Young Male Humpback Whale Found Dead in Gastineau Channel Near Juneau, AK

Last Saturday, a small humpback whale carcass was spotted drifting past Sandy Beach in Douglas, Alaska, just across Gastineau Channel from the state capital of Juneau. 

The Alaska Region Marine Mammal Stranding Network of NOAA and the U.S. Coast Guard was notified to secure the calf’s carcass and tow it to a place where experts could perform a necropsy. The necropsy was conducted on Sunday, but lab results will not be known for several days, since many of the tissue samples were sent...

Alaska Sea Grant Funds New Workforce Programs for Seafood Industry

New funding to support five new and continuing workforce development programs for seafood harvesters and processors was announced recently, as part of the state’s Technical and Vocational Education Program (TVEP). 

The projects include three Alaska Seafood School programs focused on food and processing regulations and safety, automated processing and refrigeration equipment, and processing plant management. 

Two TVEP-funded projects support commercial seafood harvesters. The Skipper Apprentice program in Bristol Bay provides training and mentorship for new crew, while an innovative “Scaled Seafood” project provides fisheries business training...

GAPP Opens Registration for 2025 Wild Alaska Pollock Meeting 

The Association of Genuine Alaska Pollock Producers (GAPP) has opened registration for the seventh annual Wild Alaska Pollock Meeting, scheduled for September 18, 2025, at the W Hotel in Seattle.  

This year’s theme, “Wild Alaska Pollock: Stronger, Together,” emphasizes industry collaboration, with a focus on sustainability and fishery management. 

“What began as a check-in has evolved into a pivotal gathering of minds and momentum. It’s where our industry aligns, learns, and commits to a future built on shared purpose and proven sustainability,” said...

Federal Judge Dismisses UCIDA's Claim that NMFS Violated Laws While Managing Cook Inlet Salmon 

The United Cook Inlet Driftnetters Association lost its latest legal effort to correct management issues impacting sockeye salmon in the Cook Inlet Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) with a decision on Monday to dismiss all charges with prejudice.  

That decision does not mean that UCIDA cannot appeal Federal Judge Sharon Gleason’s 32-page ruling.  

The Cook Inlet salmon fishery is managed as a mixed stock fishery. In this case, sustainable stocks of returning sockeye, bound for their spawning grounds in the Kenai and Kasilov Rivers, are...

Pacific Seafood Going Big on Alaska

Pacific Seafood Group is expanding its reach beyond the West Coast to Alaska through acquisitions and memberships.  

In 2024, Pacific purchased Kodiak processing facilities from Trident Seafoods, including the Star of Kodiak, a converted war-time ship that processes a number of species like pollock, salmon, halibut, crab, groundfish and Pacific cod. The purchases contribute to the company’s Mission 31, a strategic initiative aimed at doubling the size of its business by 2031. 

Now, Pacific has joined the Pacific Seafood Processors Association, a seafood processing trade group founded in 1914...

Kodiak, Chignik, and South Peninsula Remain Closed for Tanner Crab This Winter

The tanner crab season for the Kodiak, Chignik, and South Peninsula Districts will remain closed this year and for the first part of 2026 due to low abundance thresholds in each area. 

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has established male crab abundance levels needed to open each fishery. Based on the 2025 survey results, only two of the six sections — the Southeast and Southwest — met the thresholds, but surplus abundance was not sufficient to meet the 100,000-pound minimum guideline harvest level (GHL) requirement in either...

Ex-Typhoon Halong Batters Coast in Alaska’s Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta; One Dead, Two Missing

Last weekend, the remnants of Typhoon Halong hit the Bering Sea coast north of Bristol Bay with hurricane-force winds, causing catastrophic flooding, destroying homes and infrastructure as residents struggled to survive.  

Yesterday, Alaska State Troopers identified a woman whose body was recovered on Monday as 67-year-old Ella Mae Kashatok. Troopers said they suspended the active search for two missing men last seen with Kashatok in the village, where surging floodwater tore dozens of homes from their foundations...

Bering Sea Snow and Tanner Crab Quotas Nearly Double Due to Increasing Biomass

New crab quotas in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands have risen for the third year in a row after the two-year closure in 2021 and 2022. For Bering Sea snow crab, the annual quota for this season is 9.3 million pounds (lbs), up 97% from last year’s 4.7 million pounds.  

Bering Sea bairdi Tanner crab quota is up 79% to 11.25 million pounds, compared to 6.2 million pounds last year.  

The Bristol Bay red king crab quota took a modest 16% jump to 2.68 million...

SE Alaska Economy "Relatively Strong" but Leaders "Losing Confidence" In Federal Government

The Southeast Conference is a three-day conference where business and government leaders see newly compiled data from the year prior, updates on current economic indicators, and a look ahead at what residents of the Alaska Panhandle can expect given current economic dynamics. 

The report was not optimistic about the future. 

“Recent policy changes have weakened the capacity to provide scientific and regulatory expertise to sectors like seafood and timber, created concerns about the impact of tariffs, and raised questions...

Alaska Seafood Roundtable Highlights Push for Domestic Competitiveness Under Trump Administration

Alaska’s seafood sector took center stage as a September 9 roundtable brought together state lawmakers, industry leaders and senior Trump administration officials to chart a path for strengthening the domestic fishery supply chain, addressing aging fleets and bolstering international competitiveness under President Trump’s April 2025 Executive Order on 'Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness.'

Top officials, including US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, signaled a "whole-of-government" approach to keeping Alaska's wild fisheries resilient amid global pressures and regulatory challenges...

Alaska Salmon Landings Now at 84 Percent of Forecast, Due to Lower Pink and Chum Harvests

In an odd but true moment, the only species of Alaska salmon that is currently exceeding pre-season predictions is the extremely scarce Alaska Chinook salmon. As of earlier this week, Chinook landings statewide were nearly 15% above forecasts of 165,000 fish.  

Total landings as of September 2 were 180 million fish, compared to a pre-season estimate of 214 million. 

Actual landings include 52.06 million pounds of sockeye, less than .9 million pounds of the 52.9 million predicted...

Trump Announces Alaska Summit With Putin on August 15 to Discuss Ukraine War

Last Friday, President Trump announced that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet in Alaska to discuss first steps towards a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine. The meeting will be held on Friday, August 15.  

Only days before the announcement, President Trump expressed frustration over Putin's continued bombardment of Ukrainian cities and threatened to ratchet up sanctions on Russia. But Trump told reporters Friday that the Kremlin proposal involved "some swapping of territories to the betterment of both" countries...

Five Commercial Fishermen Indicted in Illegal Alaska Halibut Harvesting Scheme

Five southeast Alaska commercial fishermen were charged by a federal grand jury for conspiring to illegally harvest halibut, in violation of the Lacey Act.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) cited court documents which alleged that commercial fishermen Jonathan Pavlik, 43, of Yakutat, Vincent Jacobson, 51, of Yakutat, Kyle Dierick, 36, of Yakutat, Michael Babic, 42, of Cordova, and Timothy Ross, 58, of Washington conspired to harvest halibut on multiple occasions between 2019 and 2023.

Documents alleged that Pavlik separately conspired with Jacobson, Dierick, Babic, and Ross...

Kodiak Skipper Convicted of Lacey Act Violations Now Facing $1.2M Fine Over Clean Water Act

Repeat offender Corey Potter, found guilty last May of illegally transporting live crab from Alaska to Washington, has now been hit with a civil penalty, on separate charges of violating the Clean Water Act, of $1.18 million.

US District Court Judge Sharon Gleason found Potter and three companies he managed — F/V Knot EZ LLC, Aleutian Tendering LLC, and Alaska Tendering Company LLC — guilty of illegally discharging oily bilge waste and imposed a civil penalty of $1,182,265 for the violations...

Alaska Salmon Harvests Enter Pivotal Week For Remainder of the Season

Having exceeded the Bristol Bay forecast for sockeye harvest, production in other regions of Alaska for sockeye has fallen far short. In the Copper River, only 41% of the pre-season forecast of sockeye has been harvested, with that run nearly over. But this week, statistical week 31 in salmon management parlance, is a pivotal week historically for pink salmon. Statewide, it is the week that starts the upward trajectory for higher production from seine-caught pink salmon. 

In Alaska, salmon harvests and runs...

US Coast Guard Responds to and Photographs Chinese Research Vessel off Alaska

Last Friday the US Coast Guard’s 17th District, now called the Arctic District, detected and responded to a China-flagged research ship Xuelong-2 (Snow Dragon 2) about 334 miles north of Utqiagvik, Alaska’s northern most community on the Beaufort Sea. Utqiagvik was formerly known as Barrow. 

A Coast Guard C-130J Hercules, a long-range surveillance aircraft from Air Station Kodiak, flew over the Chinese icebreaker, noting its position as 150 miles inside the Extended Continental Shelf (ECS).  

“The U.S. Coast Guard, alongside partners and other agencies...

ASMI Partners with Whole Foods for Trip to Bristol Bay 

The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI), in collaboration with Whole Foods, and the Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association (BBRSDA), recently hosted a trip to Bristol Bay, Alaska.   

Both seafood and marketing leaders with Whole Foods attended the five-day trip, which offered a look into the harvesting and processing sides of wild Alaska sockeye salmon. They toured drift gillnet and set net fishing sites, visited processing facilities, spoke with local fishermen and biologists, observed a salmon counting tower, and explored Katmai National Park.  

“From seeing millions...

Bristol Bay Landings are Now Just 3.5M Sockeye Short of Forecasted 35M Catch

It is another endurance test in Bristol Bay for fishermen and processors to keep up with the annual phenomenon of 50 million sockeye salmon returning to five rivers within about 100 square miles, or one third the size of New York City. And the majority of the run comes in over the course of just two weeks. 

Deliveries of July 9 are just coming in at press time, but as of July 8, a total of 2.6 million sockeye salmon, also called...

Bristol Bay Salmon Run Timing And Size Currently Mimics That of Two Years Ago

The world’s largest wild salmon run, which began June 1 and will peak in the next week or two, has now landed 10 million sockeye salmon and is following closely in timing and landings with its near-record 2023 annual catch of 38 million sockeyes. That year, the state’s forecasted harvest was only 37 million sockeye.  

This year, the forecasted harvest total is 34.84 million sockeye from the five-river systems of Bristol Bay.  

As of June 29, landings in Egegik District have reached 1.8 million...