A dispute in Haines between private landowners and several Native organizations has come to a close. The disagreement over drive-down access for hooligan fishing on the Chilkoot River was resolved by a judge last year.
Fisheries
Naknek’s Fishy Fabrications takes on skiff building this spring
Bristol Bay has a big fishery but not a big marine services industry, beyond the seasonal shops that show up in the summer. This spring a local fabricator in Naknek expanded their business to try building a few set net skiffs from the ground up. Fishy Fabrications, a local business in Naknek, has started building…
7 years after BP oil spill, oyster farming takes hold in South
The “off-bottom” production method, in which oysters are grown in hanging baskets tumbled by waves, is starting to flourish on the Gulf coast — and demand for these boutique bivalves is growing.
State issues laundry list of potential services to be shut down without budget
The shutdown could immediately cost the state more than $150 million. The biggest reason is that the state would be required to pay laid off unionized workers for leave time they’ve built up.
Copper river king salmon return higher than expected
The Copper River king salmon return is coming in better than forecast. Predicted to be the weakest on record, at about 29,000 kings, Alaska Department of Fish and Game Upper Copper River management biologist Mark Somerville said the forecast is being questioned – given recent week’s king harvest by commercial fishers on the river’s delta.
Gov. Walker tells opponents of his compromise package, produce your own
Senate President Pete Kelly said majority senators see the package as a positive step. A state government shutdown will begin on July 1 if lawmakers don’t reach a compromise.
Fishermen are pulling up empty nets from Kuskokwim’s low water
Subsistence fishermen along the Kuskokwim River are reporting water on the is low, and nets are coming up mostly empty. Other fishermen, facing tight restrictions and cultural tension, have decided to refuse to fish.
Data crunchers work to build comprehensive Alaska salmon database
Scientists are gathering temperature data to determine what warming waters mean for salmon. There’s still a lot scientists don’t know and it’s become a hot topic. One of the first studies in Alaska was published in the Canadian Journal of Fisheries and Aquatic Sciences this month, as part of a larger effort to design a statewide database on all…
Stikine River mouth closing to king sport fishing
Part way through Wrangell’s salmon derby and just before the start of Petersburg’s derby, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game is closing sport fishing around the mouth of the Stikine River because of low returns of king salmon.
For the sake of the herring egg harvest, Sitka Tribe calls for smaller fishery
A decades old debate is gaining traction over the stability of Sitka’s herring population.