The Pacific Marine Expo has been held in Seattle for more than 50 years, and the 2024 Expo (which ran from November 20th to the 22nd at Lumen Field Event Center) did not disappoint. One of the featured sessions focused on King Cove, Alaska, and the history surrounding this beautiful…
Articles Posted in Maritime News
Oregon’s Dungeness Crab Season Delayed Until Mid-December
Crab season will begin later this year, as the Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife (ODFW) announced a coastwide delay for the state’s commercial Dungeness crab season. Originally set to open on December 1, 2024, the season has been postponed until at least December 16, 2024. The decision comes after…
Invasive European Green Crab Threatens West Coast Ecosystems
The European green crab, a small but vicious predator, has been making its presence known on the West Coast of North America and wreaking havoc on native ecosystems. Native to the coastlines of Europe and northern Africa, the green crab has spread to coastlines around the world, from Australia to…
2025 Tanner Crab Harvest Quota Limit Set by ADF&G
Kodiak’s fishing community is preparing for the 2025 Tanner crab season, a staple of Alaska’s crab fisheries. In a press release, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) has set the start date for the Tanner crab fishing season in the Kodiak District and South Peninsula for January 15,…
Balancing Economics and Environmental Sustainability after Pollock Trawling Bycatch Incident
The recent bycatch incident involving the Alaskan pollock trawl fishery has cast a spotlight on the challenges of balancing economic survival for fishermen and coastal communities with environmental sustainability. Following a significant bycatch of Chinook salmon, the pollock fishing season was closed early, leading to economic hardships that have prompted debate…
NOAA’s 2024 Seafood Industry Report
Alaska’s seafood industry, a cornerstone of the state’s economy and U.S. fisheries, is facing significant hurdles, as revealed in NOAA’s 2024 report. Economic conditions, workforce challenges, and climate impacts are driving this once-thriving sector into a difficult period, resulting in substantial declines in profits and industry-wide layoffs. Economic Downturn and…
Coast Guard Rescues 5 from Tug Luther After Loss of Steering
A dramatic maritime rescue took place off the coast of La Push, Washington, on Friday, October 18th, 2024, as U.S. Coast Guard and commercial tug crews worked urgently to prevent the 130-foot tug LUTHER from running aground after it lost steering in stormy seas. At approximately 4:10 p.m. the tug…
Alaska Opens Snow Crab Fishery for First Time in Two Years, Allowing 4.7 Million Pound Harvest
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) announced that the Bering Sea snow crab fishery will reopen after being closed for two years, allowing fishermen to harvest approximately 4.7 million pounds of snow crab. This decision follows an assessment that the population of mature male crabs has increased above…
Pacific Seafood will Acquire Trident Seafoods Kodiak Operations
Trident Seafoods and Pacific Seafood have reached a preliminary agreement for Pacific Seafood to acquire Trident’s processing operations in Kodiak, Alaska. While the transaction is still subject to completion of the due diligence process, both firms expect to finalize the agreement by November. In a joint statement, the companies emphasized…
Safety Rules Still Lax After F/V Scandies Rose and F/V Destination Losses
Five years have passed since the tragic loss of the F/V SCANDIES ROSE, and seven years since the sinking of the F/V DESTINATION. Both vessels were burdened with crab pots that exceeded the estimated weights in their stability reports, and both vessels capsized during severe weather conditions. The attorneys at…