Some of Alaska’s largest pollock processors are abandoning a foreign worker visa program that once supplied up to half their workforce, citing rising costs and uncertainty under stricter immigration policies.
Fisheries
Alaska’s commercial salmon harvest rebounds after ultra-low harvest last year
The amount of money paid to harvesters delivering their fish was the 13th lowest since 1975, when adjusted for inflation.
Disaster relief applications open for captain and crew affected by 2021-22 and 2022-23 crab seasons
The payments cover seasons from 2021-2023, when stocks collapsed and fisheries remained closed.
Judge denies Southeast Alaska tribes’ effort to dismiss Metlakatla fishing rights case
The case challenging the state of Alaska’s right to regulate Metlakatla fishermen was headed for trial when a coalition of tribes asked the court to dismiss it.
Alaska commercial fishing jobs have fallen to a record low, report says
New data shows the industry has lost more than a third of harvesting jobs over the past decade.
Government shutdown creates uncertainty for fisheries management in waters off Alaska
Managers and advocates worry about getting adequate information in time to set the 2026 harvest levels for Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska groundfish.