With warming ocean temperatures, the risk of paralytic shellfish poisoning can linger all year-round, and Alaska has only one Food and Drug Administration certified laboratory to test shellfish. There are no labs to protect those digging for their dinner, but that may soon change.
Fisheries
Warm water Blob may be sending salmon forecasts awry
Biologists admit they’re still not sure exactly how the warm water Blob is affecting salmon up and down the West Coast.
Parasite turns Alaska king crabs into zombies
Imagine a king crab, living the good life. He’s minding his own business, happily scavenging the bottom of the ocean for food with his fellow crabs, when all of a sudden he’s attacked and infected. The infection eventually castrates him and takes over his body.
Legislature focuses on oil and gas tax credits in session overtime
It became clear that the largest stumbling block is how much and how quickly to scale back tax credits for the oil and gas industry.
After disaster declaration, Emmonak seeks aid to rebuild commercial fishery and public safety infrastructure
If Emmonak is granted or loaned the requested $750,000, Moore said the city will rebuild critical infrastructure before the upcoming fishing season.
In aftermath of fire, Emmonak declares disaster
Without emergency aid, Emmonak City Manager Martin Moore said last month’s fire damage could cripple the area’s economy.
Gov. Walker appoints Sitkan and Unalaskan to ASMI board
The two newest members of the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute board of directors represent large processors.
Small fish, active spawning close down Sitka’s sac roe harvest
For the third time in six years, Sitka Sound Sac Roe Herring Fishery has closed far short of the target harvest level.
Number of permit holders selling Norton Sound crab drops by half with lowered quota
Just 22 commercial permit holders sold crab this year. That’s down from last season when 44 crabbers harvested nearly 100,000 pounds, shattering every record in the 35-year history of the fishery.
Mariculture initiative could boost shellfish farms
Alaska shellfish farmers hope a new state mariculture initiative will help boost their businesses. But they warn it’s not an easy industry to expand.