Fisheries

Commercial salmon fishing is a distant memory on the Kuskokwim River. But down the Bering Sea coast, local fishermen with the Independent Fishermen of Quinhagak Cooperative have been fighting to keep a small commercial fishery alive and bring much-needed cash into communities.

The pollock industry’s accidental catch of salmon isn’t new but it’s landing with new political salience. Here’s a primer, and a tally of the special interest money.

Wrangell’s shipyard would be built on an existing 42-acre deepwater port, which is a former mill site that the borough purchased for $2.5 million in 2022.

Kodiak Republican Rep. Louise Stutes requested the special state audit due to public complaints, but said it would investigate only the board’s process and procedures, not actions taken.

Southeast Alaska’s commercial king salmon fishery will remain open until further notice. The July 1 king opener for trollers, who fish with hook and line, is usually over quickly– it typically lasts anywhere from a handful of days to a week. But this year, with two weeks down, trollers are only at the halfway mark toward catching their target.

Charter boat operators say the stamp doesn’t address plummeting halibut numbers.