Indigenous leaders across the Gulf say it’s imperative that Alaska legislators pass reforms to the state law that they blame for the mess: a landmark 1973 statute that effectively prevents many residents of those coastal villages from earning a living by fishing for salmon.
"Limited Entry Act"
Decades after commercial fishing limits gutted Native fishing fleets, advocates call for change
Sustainable fishing policies passed in the 1970s have backfired in rural Native villages, where many family-run boats have raised their hooks and nets for good.
Bristol Bay’s sockeye runs are breaking records, but the fishery’s growth has left many locals behind
Decades of research shows that rural and Alaska Native fishermen face significant economic and cultural barriers to commercial fishing.
Rural Alaska losing access to fisheries, report says
The increasing costs to get into Alaska’s fisheries are making it difficult for new fishermen to break into the business — especially in rural, coastal communities, according to a recent report from University of Alaska Fairbanks and SeaGrant scientists.