Oral Arguments Heard on EPA's Veto of Pebble Mine, Decision Expected in 'Near Future'

The copper, gold and molybdenum mine known as Pebble and led by Canadian-owned Northern Dynasty Minerals Ltd., was in court last week arguing over whether a 2023 decision by the Environmental Protection Agency “vetoing” the project was right or wrong. The argument was before US District Court Judge Sharon Gleason in her Anchorage courtroom. 

Pebble Mine would be located in the watershed above Bristol Bay, the world’s largest run of sockeye salmon and home to five large river systems. The lawsuit was brought...

All's Quiet on the Western Front One Week Before the Traditional Peak of Harvest in Bristol Bay

Bristol Bay's estimated harvest forecast is 32.3 million sockeye, assuming a total run of 44.1 million red salmon. That harvest is usually taken in a whirlwind five to seven days, around or shortly following the Fourth of July. If this week was the quiet before the storm, it was indeed silent.

Commercial catches as of June 23 are 837,509 sockeye salmon. Of the five river systems in the Bay, Ugashik is leading the pack so far with 635,202 salmon landed. Second is Egegik...

Aleutian Islands Golden King Crab Catch for 2026-2027 Season Up 13% From Last Year

Yesterday, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced the season dates and catch limits for Aleutian Islands golden king crab. The season opens August 1, 2026 and closes April 30, 2027. This year, the fleet is allowed to catch 4.742 million pounds of the delicacy, slightly more than 13 percent above the 2025/26 season.  

Alaska’s Aleutian Golden King crab is harvested and managed differently from all other types of crab landed in Alaska. The total allowable catch (TAC) is divided...

NOAA Directs $123.6M in Fishery Disaster Funds to Alaska, West Coast, and Squaxin Island Tribe

The US Department of Commerce announced Tuesday the allocation of $123.6 million in fishery resource disaster funding, drawn from money appropriated by Congress in the American Relief Act of 2025. The funds are directed at fishery disasters that struck Oregon, California, Alaska, and the Squaxin Island Tribe in Washington between 2019 and 2023.

NOAA Fisheries used commercial revenue loss data to determine how funding will be distributed across the eligible disasters. Funds can be deployed for a range of recovery activities, including fishery infrastructure...

What a Super El Niño Could Mean for Alaska's Seabirds, Salmon, and Seas

With the declaration of an El Niño last week and forecasts that it will intensify into a "Super El Niño" this winter, US Geological Survey (USGS) researchers are tracking how warming waters threaten Alaska's ecosystems — from seabird die-offs and harmful algal blooms to heat-stressed salmon.

In the US, El Niño brings warmer conditions to northern states and wetter conditions to southern states, but the phenomenon's energy also affects seabed ecosystems and atmospheric conditions. Because peak El Niño is expected during winter 2026-2027, effects...

Alaska 2026 Salmon Harvest Forecast 40% Lower Despite Pink Salmon Gains

If pre-season forecasts prove accurate, 2026 will be a lean year for Alaska wild salmon across most species. Alaska's total harvest forecast calls for 56 million pink salmon, 49.7 million sockeye salmon, 17.2 million chum salmon, and 2.4 million coho salmon. If realized, the forecast for the 2026 total Alaska commercial salmon harvest will be approximately 125.5 million fish—nearly 40% fewer than last year.

However, pink salmon are two-year fish, and even years have traditionally seen smaller returns compared to...

ASMI Launches UK Campaign Tying Wild Salmon Season to New Seattle-London Flight Route

Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute has rolled out its "First Flight, First Catch" campaign in the UK market, leveraging the new daily Alaska Airlines service between Seattle and London Heathrow to promote the availability of fresh wild Alaska salmon.

The multi-faceted campaign coincides with the opening of Alaska's commercial salmon harvest and includes partnerships with Whole Foods Market featuring in-store demonstrations by fisherman Thea Thomas, a media and trade supper club event at London's historic Fishmonger's Hall, and targeted influencer and social media outreach...

Copper River Season Opens with 39,000 Sockeye Catch, Elevated Early-Season Prices

Cold temperatures, wind and rain greeted the fleet that made it out to the Copper River fishing grounds for the 12-hour season opener last Friday. A total of 39,000 sockeye salmon and 967 Chinook salmon were caught, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G).

Expana market reporter Joshua Bickert reports that both sockeye and kings are seeing elevated wholesale prices, though levels remain typical for early-season product. Market participants largely believe that prices should fall rapidly...

Alaska's Attorney General Voids 5 Board of Fish Regulations on Area M, Due to Ethics Violation 

Alaska's highest law enforcement authority sent a letter to Alaska's Lieutenant Governor, Nancy Dahlstrom, yesterday, “disapproving” of the Alaska Board of Fisheries' actions on five proposals that were adopted into regulation at its February 18 – 24, 2026, meeting.

The regulations, all affecting Area M salmon fisheries, would have taken effect on June 1, 2026. 

Acting Attorney General Cori Mills, a 14-year veteran of the AG's office, acted under the Alaska Executive Branch Ethics Act as a matter of state government accountability, independently...

Kodiak’s Early Season Salmon Fishing Curtailed to Protect Expected Low Return of Reds and Kings

Projected extremely low returns of both sockeye (red) and king (Chinook) salmon to the Karluk River on Kodiak Island’s west side are expected to keep the area closed from June 1 to July 5, 2026.  

“The Karluk River early-run sockeye salmon forecast is estimated to be 115,000 fish, which falls significantly below the established Biological Escapement Goal (BEG) of 150,000 to 250,000 fish,” noted the May 6 announcement by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G).

“Additionally, Karluk River Chinook salmon escapements...

Navy Will Commission New USS Ted Stevens Destroyer in Whittier but Homeport in Norfolk

The U.S. Navy will hold a commissioning ceremony for the future Flight III Arleigh Burke-class destroyer USS Ted Stevens in Whittier, Alaska. Considered the “backbone of the Navy’s surface fleet”, there are 24 new Arleigh Burke-class destroyers under order, with three launched: 

–USS Patrick Gallagher (DDG-127), launched on July 27, 2024, with an expected commissioning sometime in the spring of 2026. 

-USS Ted Stevens (DDG-128), launched on August 15, 2023. 

-USS Jeremiah Denton (DDG-129), launched on March 26, 2025...

Alaska Rep. Begich Offers Bill to Add Four Seats to the North Pacific Fishery Management Council

Alaska’s sole representative in the U.S. House introduced a bill last Thursday to expand the number of voting seats on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) from 11 to potentially 15. The bill, titled the North Pacific Fishery Management Council Representation Enhancement Act of 2026, calls for “balanced representation” that includes “at least one representative each from recreational, small-scale commercial, rural subsistence, and urban subsistence user groups.” 

The bill was immediately referred to the House Natural Resources Committee, with the full text...

Lutnick Pledges Maine Lobster Coordination, Disaster Relief Reform Under Bicoastal Senate Pressure

Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick faced intense scrutiny from senators representing both coasts during his April 22, 2026, Senate Appropriations Committee testimony, addressing mounting concerns over federal fisheries management from Maine's lobster industry to Alaska's disaster-stricken crab fleet.

Senator Susan Collins secured multiple commitments from Lutnick regarding Maine's lobster industry as the sector approaches a critical regulatory transition. With Congress's 2022 moratorium on new NOAA regulations affecting the American Lobster Fishery set to expire in 2028, Collins pressed for comprehensive industry coordination...

Japan's Black Cod Imports up 4% in 2025, Price Increased by 13%

According to a report by Minato Shimbun, Japan's imports of frozen black cod in 2025 increased by 4% year-on-year to 11,188 tons. The import price rose 13% from 1,133 yen/kg ($7.10/kg) the previous year to 1,280 yen/kg ($8.03/kg). The total import value reached a record high of 14.3 billion yen ($89.65 million). This year, due to the global surge in prices for fatty fish species in general, fatigue from low prices in the main producing region, the United States...

Coast Guard Removes Press Release on American Seafoods Pollock Roe Seizure

The US Coast Guard removed a press release from its website detailing the seizure of $65,000 worth of Alaska pollock roe from American Seafoods' catcher-processor Northern Eagle.

The Coast Guard told Alaska's NBC-2 KTUU that it removed the posts to prevent "unintended consequences, distractions from NOAA's ongoing investigation, or confusion about the compliance record within the Alaska pollock fishery."

The USCG said it pushed back on the case's conclusions, noting the issue shouldn't be viewed as evidence of illegal, unreported, or unregulated fishing in one...

Alaska Seafood Industry Seeks Extension of EU CATCH Deadline Amid Trade Disruption Concerns

A coalition of US and European seafood trade groups is urging the European Union to extend the July 10, 2026, deadline for compliance with updated EU CATCH certification requirements, warning that current traceability demands could effectively ban Alaska seafood from EU markets.

The coalition includes Seafood Europe, Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI), At-Sea Processors Association (APA), National Fisheries Institute (NFI), and Pacific Seafood Processors Association (PSPA).

The groups cite a "core challenge" in requirements that each imported shipment provide traceability of each harvest vessel's...

Death of Pregnant Fin Whale Caused by Cruise Ship Strike Before Docking in Seward

Federal and local scientists who conducted a necropsy on Saturday of an endangered and pregnant fin whale that arrived in port still draped over the bulbous bow of the Royal Caribbean Ovation of The Seas, said their preliminary findings are that the whale died of injuries consistent with a ship strike.

NOAA Fisheries collaborated with the Alaska SeaLife Center and Alaska Veterinary Pathology Services to perform a necropsy on the whale over the weekend to determine the cause of death...

USCG Helicopter Crashes Near Sitka, Crew Survived With Minor Injuries 

Four US Coast Guard crew members involved in a helicopter crash in Sitka Monday morning have been reported safe with “non-serious injuries.” The first reports from the Coast Guard came through on social media, mentioning that the aircraft was an MH-60 Jayhawk.  

Watchstanders at the Arctic District command center in Juneau received the initial report of the crash on Harbor Mountain through the activation of the aircrew’s personal locator beacon just after 10 a.m., according to a Coast Guard press release. The MH-60 Jayhawk went down..

Wild Alaskan Company to Directly Operate Kasilof Buying Station for 2026 Salmon Season

Wild Alaskan Company will directly operate the Kasilof buying station for the upcoming salmon season, reversing its original plan to bring in an outside operator after acquiring the facility in February.

The company said it has committed the capital, personnel, and operational resources needed to prepare the facility for the 2026 season. The Kasilof station serves Alaska's second-largest sockeye salmon fishery and plays a key role in access, logistics, and value creation across the region.

"While it wasn't our original plan, we chose...

Three New Icebreakers to be Homeported in Alaska — Two in Kodiak, One in Seward

Last Thursday, the U.S. Coast Guard announced, and Alaska Senators Dan Sullivan and Lisa Murkowski held a press conference on the latest addition to their state’s security fleet: three new Arctic Security Cutters, a new class of medium-sized icebreakers, two to be home-ported in Kodiak and one in Seward. According to the Coast Guard, the vessels are the first of their kind in the United States and are designed with a heavier focus on security than the existing three icebreakers. Last April, Secretary...

ASMI Enhances Processing Capacity in Southeast Asia for Alaska’s Seafood Industry

Since 2024, the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) has been providing the state’s seafood processors with opportunities to use re-processing services in the Southeast Asia (SEA) region. The program is funded in part by the federal Emerging Markets Program (EMP), a part of the Marketing Access Program in the US Department of Agriculture.

In 2024, ASMI hosted technical training seminars in Southeast Asia to enhance processing capacity by assessing local seafood processors. After a successful first year of identifying and establishing partners with the capacity to reprocess Alaska...

Japan: Alaska Black Cod Price Has Risen 22% Year-On-Year

The domestic market price of 4/5-pound black cod from Alaska rose from approximately 1,800 yen/kg ($11.25/kg) to 2,200 yen/kg ($13.75/kg) this spring. This is believed to be due to producers' demands for price increases in recent years, as well as the general rise in prices of fatty fish species. Looking ahead, "there are many uncertain factors, and it's impossible to predict until autumn deepens," according to a distributor, reported Minato Shimbun. 

Japan is a major consumer of US black cod...

Premier Dixon and Governor Dunleavy Sign Renewed Alaska-Yukon Intergovernmental Accord

Alaska and the Yukon reaffirmed their commitment to several shared issues, including deeper collaboration on research and the ongoing rebuilding of salmon populations in the Yukon River.  

Premier Currie Dixon and Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy met during the fifth annual Alaska Sustainable Energy Conference, where they discussed shared northern energy priorities and the Arctic’s growing strategic importance.

Both Dixon and Dunleavy emphasized the close, longstanding relationship between Alaska and the Yukon, including cross-border family and friendship connections, ties among Indigenous communities and a shared commitment to...

Circle Seafoods Sets 2026 Alaska Seine Prices, Holds Pink Base at $0.61

Circle Seafoods announced its 2026 Southeast Alaska seine season base prices, setting pink salmon at $0.61 per pound, chum at $1.07 per pound, and sockeye at $2.50 per pound, with payments processed within weeks rather than months.

The company is maintaining its 2025 final pink price of $0.61 as the 2026 base, citing retail demand built through its Ultra Low Temp Pink Salmon Fillets, now available in 4,000 US stores, including Publix, Whole Foods, H-E-B, and Sprouts Farmers Market...

The Compression Phase: Alaska Reclaims Strength as Global Crab Markets Diverge

The global crab market is entering a more compressed and strategically uneven phase in 2026, where timing, access, and inventory positioning are becoming more important than production alone. Alaska has re-emerged as a major force in the premium frozen market following a third consecutive year of higher quotas, while Norway’s sharp reduction in king crab supply has materially tightened global availability of premium product. At the same time, Russia continues to consolidate its dominance in the live trade into Asia...

Alaska Halibut Fisherman Receives Fishing Ban, $15,000 Fine for Lacey Act Violations

Southeast Alaska halibut fisherman Vincent Jacobson, 52, was sentenced on Wednesday to five years’ probation, a $15,000 fine and a worldwide fishing and hunting ban during his probation for his part in a conspiracy to illegally harvest halibut with another commercial fisherman. That conspiracy violated the Lacey Act. 

Timothy Ross, 58, of Washington, pleaded guilty to one count of Lacey Act conspiracy on Sept. 8, 2025, and was sentenced to five years’ probation and a $15,000 fine on Dec. 10, 2025... 

Special BOF Meeting Addresses Gear Switch in Cook Inlet, Traditional Knowledge Reg Language

A Special Meeting of Alaska’s Board of Fisheries will be held today, online only, to address four proposals, one adding regulatory language for the use of Traditional Knowledge (TK) in Fish and Game processes, and three regarding salmon fisheries in Western Alaska and Upper Cook Inlet.  

The meeting will begin at 1 p.m. Alaska Standard Time (AST) and will not include public testimony. However, written testimony can be submitted until 5 p.m. AST today. Comments can be submitted submitted online at https://boardoffisheries.adfg.alaska.gov/...

Alaska Delegation Secures $115.4 Million in Federal Port Infrastructure Funding

US Senators Lisa Murkowski, Dan Sullivan and Congressman Nick Begich (R-AK) secured over $115.4 million in federal funding for ports across Alaska, the delegation announced on April 22.

The funding will go to seven projects selected through the US Department of Transportation's Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP), a competitive grant initiative administered by the DOT's Maritime Administration that funds projects to improve the safety, efficiency, and reliability of goods moving through US ports.

Alaska has more ocean coastline than all other US states combined, making port infrastructure...

Alaska's 2026 Salmon Forecast Falls 36% on Lower Pink Salmon Returns

The most recent forecast from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game was released April 21 with a total predicted harvest of 125.5 million salmon, a 36 percent drop from last year’s harvest of 197.4 million fish.

ADF&G’s final report for the coming season, “Run Forecasts and Harvest Projects for 2026 Alaska Salmon Fisheries and Review of the 2025 Season,” provides context for how fisheries managers develop forecasts, including a comparison of actual returns and harvests against forecasts over several years...

Governor Appoints Three to Alaska Board of Fish While State Legislators Express Escalating Concern

For most of his two terms, Alaska’s Governor Mike Dunleavy has issued a press release in late March or early April on appointments to the state’s Board of Fisheries, which, along with the Board of Game, oversees the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. 

Not this year. Almost a month ago, Dunleavy penned an identical letter to two new appointees and one incumbent, thanking them for accepting the appointment to the seven-member board. 

The two new appointments, Josh Hayes and Blair Hickson, are replacing...