A recent study using advanced genetic testing has revealed alarmingly high infection rates of bitter crab disease in Tanner and snow crabs, two commercially important species in the Bering Sea. Scientists estimate that up to 42 percent of Tanner crabs and 36 percent of snow crabs were infected during the…
In a significant policy shift, the Alaska Board of Fisheries has approved a proposal to permit a limited commercial harvest of red king crabs in Southeast Alaska. This decision, approved during the board’s Southeast and Yakutat Finfish and Shellfish meeting in Ketchikan from January 28 to February 9, 2025, changes…
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) has released its 2025 salmon run forecast for the Prince William Sound (PWS) and Copper River regions. The projections provide key insights into Chinook, sockeye, pink, and chum salmon returns, which will influence early-season management strategies. Copper River Chinook Salmon The 2025…
Alaska’s Permanent Fund trustees invested over $29 million in Peter Pan Seafood, a seafood processing company in King Cove, Alaska, as part of an effort to support local businesses. However, the company shut down, leading to financial losses for the state and economic hardship for the community. The Permanent Fund,…
A single-engine turboprop Cessna Caravan, operated by Bering Air, was en route from Unalakleet to Nome on Thursday February 6th, 2025, when it vanished from radar. It was a regularly scheduled commuter flight. The aircraft went missing about 30 miles southeast of Nome, with contact lost less than an hour…
In response to mounting economic challenges within Alaska’s seafood sector, the Joint Legislative Task Force Evaluating Alaska’s Seafood Industry has released a preliminary report. The report identifies critical issues affecting the industry and proposes policy recommendations to address them. Key Challenges Identified The task force report highlights several pressing challenges:…
On Thursday, January 23, 2025, the 78-foot F/V NORTHERN ENDURANCE ran aground near Little Priest Rock, approximately three miles from Unalaska. The City of Unalaska Fire Department initially arrived on the scene, then relinquished control of the situation to U.S. Coast Guard’s Marine Safety Unit. A representative from the Fire…
The U.S. Coast Guard successfully medevaced a 34-year-old crewman from a fishing vessel approximately 40 miles offshore from Oahu on Monday February 20, 2025, following a serious eye injury sustained at sea. The Joint Rescue Coordination Center in Honolulu received the initial distress call at 4:30 p.m. Saturday February 18th,…
Watchstanders at the 17th Coast Guard District Command Center received a distress alert from the fishing vessel emergency position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) at 9:48 a.m. on Wednesday, January 15th from the F/V TANUSHA near Kodiak. A helicopter aircrew was launched from U.S. Coast Guard Air Station Kodiak and requested…
Washington’s commercial Dungeness crab season is set to begin January 15th, 2025 for coastal areas from Klipsan Beach on the Long Beach Peninsula south to Cape Falcon, Oregon, including the Columbia River and Willapa Bay. However, the opening date for the remainder of Washington’s Pacific Coast remains undecided. The Dungeness…