2026 Will Be Another Strong Year for Sitka Herring

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) announced last week that the guideline harvest level (GHL) for the 2026 Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishery is 35,015 tons with a forecasted weight of 156 grams, averaged across all age classes.  

The forecast is based on an estimated biomass of 233,433 tons of mature herring, a slight (6%) decrease from the year-ago forecast of 247,081 tons. 

Two new management changes were made at the Board of Fisheries meeting in late January and early February 2025 that impacted the GHL...

Snow Crab Collapse Linked to Energetic Limits Amid Marine Heatwave, NOAA Study Finds

NOAA Fisheries, also known as the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), highlighted a recent study focused on the massive collapse of the snow crab population in the eastern Bering Sea. Led by NOAA Alaska Fisheries Science Center biologist Erin Fedewa, the research sought to understand the causes of the 2018-2019 mortality event and the species’ potential for recovery.

A key aspect of the study was measuring snow crab energy reserves during and after the marine heatwave. Using biochemical assays of lipids and proteins in muscle and...

2026 Pollock TAC Steady for Bering Sea, Aleutians, Bogoslof with Revised Regional Allocations

The 2026 total annual catch (TAC) for pollock has been set at the same level as last year — 1.394 million metric tons (mmt) in the Bering Sea (BS)/Aleutian Islands (AI) and Bogoslof area. The difference is how the TAC is allocated this year, with the biggest change in the AI, although at a much smaller scale than the Bering Sea's pollock TAC. 

In the Bering Sea, the 2026 TAC dropped from 1.389 mmt last year to 1.375 mmt in 2026...

Japan: Imports of Frozen Alaskan Salmon Roe Doubled to 3,184 Tons, Russian Roe Minimal

According to the Minato Shimbun report, imported frozen salmon roe is selling at unusually high prices this season. The domestic sales price for Russian pink and chum salmon roe has exceeded 10,000 yen/kg ($64.34/kg). This is even higher than last season's steep price hike, and there have been almost no imports up to September. Imports from the United States are on the rise. 

The domestic sales price for frozen Russian roe from the latest season in November was...

ADF&G Forecasts “Average” Pink Salmon Harvest for Southeast Alaska — 19M Pinks in 2026

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) issued its latest salmon forecast for next year last Monday: a lackluster “average” run of pink salmon to rivers in the state’s panhandle, with a predicted harvest of 19 million fish. 

“Juvenile pink salmon abundance measured in northern inside waters during summer 2025 was near the middle of the long-term range, which suggests a moderate number of adults returning in 2026,” the agency’s forecast said. 

While salmon returns can vary due to changing ocean conditions...

OBBBA’s 2nd Oil Lease Sale this March for Alaska’s Cook Inlet, 1st Sale Next Month for Gulf States

The Bureau of Ocean Energy Management (BOEM) today announced two major oil and gas lease sales last Friday, as promised in President Trump’s One Big Beautiful Bill Act.

BOEM, part of the Department of the Interior, released the Final Notice of Sale for Lease Sale Big Beautiful Gulf 1 (BBG1), the first of 30 Gulf of America lease sales. The Gulf of Mexico was renamed by Trump to the Gulf of America...

Les Hodges: Frozen Crab to the US, Live to China - Everything Else is Just Noise

As the industry enters the final weeks of 2025, one reality is unmistakable: global king and snow crab movement is now shaped almost entirely by the United States and China. The US has become the dominant outlet for frozen snow crab, absorbing record volumes from Canada and Norway, while China controls the live crab market and continues to pull the majority of Russian king and snow crab. Japan remains Asia's largest frozen crab buyer, but demand has fallen sharply under a weak yen and declining consumer...

FISH Act Passes in Senate, Will Strengthen US Policy Against Illegal Foreign Seafood Harvests

Last Tuesday, Senators Dan Sullivan (R-AK) and Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) saw their legislation against illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing pass the full Senate as part of the Fiscal Year 2026 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA) introduced last July.

The Fighting Foreign Illegal Seafood Harvest (FISH) Act, co-sponsored by Sens. Murkowski (R-AK), Wicker (R-MS), Graham (R-SC), Merkley (D-OR), Blunt (D-DE), Coons (D-DE), and Kennedy (R-LA), would combat foreign illegal, unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing...

Kodiak, Chignik, and South Peninsula Remain Closed for Tanner Crab This Winter

The tanner crab season for the Kodiak, Chignik, and South Peninsula Districts will remain closed this year and for the first part of 2026 due to low abundance thresholds in each area. 

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game has established male crab abundance levels needed to open each fishery. Based on the 2025 survey results, only two of the six sections — the Southeast and Southwest — met the thresholds, but surplus abundance was not sufficient to meet the 100,000-pound minimum guideline harvest level (GHL) requirement in either...

Ex-Typhoon Halong Batters Coast in Alaska’s Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta; One Dead, Two Missing

Last weekend, the remnants of Typhoon Halong hit the Bering Sea coast north of Bristol Bay with hurricane-force winds, causing catastrophic flooding, destroying homes and infrastructure as residents struggled to survive.  

Yesterday, Alaska State Troopers identified a woman whose body was recovered on Monday as 67-year-old Ella Mae Kashatok. Troopers said they suspended the active search for two missing men last seen with Kashatok in the village, where surging floodwater tore dozens of homes from their foundations...

Bering Sea Snow and Tanner Crab Quotas Nearly Double Due to Increasing Biomass

New crab quotas in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands have risen for the third year in a row after the two-year closure in 2021 and 2022. For Bering Sea snow crab, the annual quota for this season is 9.3 million pounds (lbs), up 97% from last year’s 4.7 million pounds.  

Bering Sea bairdi Tanner crab quota is up 79% to 11.25 million pounds, compared to 6.2 million pounds last year.  

The Bristol Bay red king crab quota took a modest 16% jump to 2.68 million...

SE Alaska Economy "Relatively Strong" but Leaders "Losing Confidence" In Federal Government

The Southeast Conference is a three-day conference where business and government leaders see newly compiled data from the year prior, updates on current economic indicators, and a look ahead at what residents of the Alaska Panhandle can expect given current economic dynamics. 

The report was not optimistic about the future. 

“Recent policy changes have weakened the capacity to provide scientific and regulatory expertise to sectors like seafood and timber, created concerns about the impact of tariffs, and raised questions...

Alaska Seafood Roundtable Highlights Push for Domestic Competitiveness Under Trump Administration

Alaska’s seafood sector took center stage as a September 9 roundtable brought together state lawmakers, industry leaders and senior Trump administration officials to chart a path for strengthening the domestic fishery supply chain, addressing aging fleets and bolstering international competitiveness under President Trump’s April 2025 Executive Order on 'Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness.'

Top officials, including US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick and Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins, signaled a "whole-of-government" approach to keeping Alaska's wild fisheries resilient amid global pressures and regulatory challenges...

Alaska Salmon Landings Now at 84 Percent of Forecast, Due to Lower Pink and Chum Harvests

In an odd but true moment, the only species of Alaska salmon that is currently exceeding pre-season predictions is the extremely scarce Alaska Chinook salmon. As of earlier this week, Chinook landings statewide were nearly 15% above forecasts of 165,000 fish.  

Total landings as of September 2 were 180 million fish, compared to a pre-season estimate of 214 million. 

Actual landings include 52.06 million pounds of sockeye, less than .9 million pounds of the 52.9 million predicted...

Trump Announces Alaska Summit With Putin on August 15 to Discuss Ukraine War

Last Friday, President Trump announced that he and Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet in Alaska to discuss first steps towards a peace agreement between Russia and Ukraine. The meeting will be held on Friday, August 15.  

Only days before the announcement, President Trump expressed frustration over Putin's continued bombardment of Ukrainian cities and threatened to ratchet up sanctions on Russia. But Trump told reporters Friday that the Kremlin proposal involved "some swapping of territories to the betterment of both" countries...

Five Commercial Fishermen Indicted in Illegal Alaska Halibut Harvesting Scheme

Five southeast Alaska commercial fishermen were charged by a federal grand jury for conspiring to illegally harvest halibut, in violation of the Lacey Act.

The Department of Justice (DOJ) cited court documents which alleged that commercial fishermen Jonathan Pavlik, 43, of Yakutat, Vincent Jacobson, 51, of Yakutat, Kyle Dierick, 36, of Yakutat, Michael Babic, 42, of Cordova, and Timothy Ross, 58, of Washington conspired to harvest halibut on multiple occasions between 2019 and 2023.

Documents alleged that Pavlik separately conspired with Jacobson, Dierick, Babic, and Ross...

Record Prices, Record Imports, Record Shifts — 2025 Crab Trade Turns Upside Down

The holiday period remains the most active stretch of the year for global king and snow crab, and this season is no different. Alaska red king crab has entered December holiday channels, while harvesters have now shifted to the largest Bairdi (Tanner) snow crab harvest seen in more than a decade. Prices for red and golden king crab remain at record highs and have shown little elasticity throughout the year despite broader economic uncertainty.

Attention across the industry has sharpened around the US...

Pacific Halibut Stock Assessment at End of 2025 Shows Continued Trend of Low Productivity

The annual stock assessment of Pacific halibut, the world’s largest flatfish, reveals little change in the biomass of the stock that ranges from Alaska’s northern Bering Sea to California's Monterey Bay.  

Commercial landings in 2025 as of December 1 were 16.7 million lbs., down 16% from that time last year. This year, that reflected only about 80% of the catch limit allowed in 2025. Total mortality was 28.8 mlbs, down 12% from last year, and marks the lowest in 100 years...

Alaska Pollock Biomass Drops 30%, But Federal Shutdown Delays Stock Assessment Process

A summer survey of the eastern Bering Sea (EBS) showed a 30% drop in the biomass of Walleye pollock in the area compared to a 2024 survey. 

Results of the 2025 Eastern and Northern Bering Sea Bottom Trawl Survey, which were released to the North Pacific Fishery Management Council’s groundfish plan team in September, showed a drop from last year’s 5.5 million metric tons to a current 3.8 million metric tons of pollock in the area. 

Other species also showed drops in biomass: Pacific cod dropped...

2026 Bristol Bay Sockeye Run Forecast of 45.32 Million, 12 Percent Below 2025’s Forecast

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) released its forecast for the 2026 Bristol Bay salmon season yesterday, predicting a run of 45.32 million and a catch of 32.26 million sockeye. This is 26% smaller than the most recent 10-year average of 61.0 million fish and 21% greater than the long-term average of 37.40 million fish (1963–2025). 

Yesterday’s forecast compared to last year’s final forecast, also released in November, for a 2025 run of 51.3 million and a forecasted...

Alaska’s 2025 Season Nets 88 Percent More Salmon, Increasing YOY Value by 78 Percent

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) has published preliminary catch and value data for this year’s salmon season, noting year-on-year increases for both volume and value. 

Total catch reached 194.8 million salmon, an 88% increase from the 2024 catch of 103.5 million salmon. Total value in 2025 for all species is estimated to be at $541 million, a significant increase from $304 million in 2024. Ex-vessel average prices per pound for all salmon species improved from 2024 values...

ASMI Delivers “Powerful” ROI, Adds $464M in Value to Alaska Seafood in 2023

The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) delivered a “powerful” return on investment and played a strong role in a $464 million increase in value for Alaska seafood in 2023, according to seafood economist Andy Wink’s independent analysis.

Wink showcased his findings at the recent ASMI meeting in Alaska this week.

The report quantifies ASMI’s impact over the past five years, encompassing major seafood species, domestic and international retail and foodservice promotions, and global food aid sales...

The Winding Glass: Alaska Fisheries Face Crisis due to Gov’t Shutdown

December is the most important meeting of the year for the North Pacific Fishery Management Council. Quotas are set for all Alaskan species under federal management, with the pollock and cod fisheries beginning the following month. Federal staff are furloughed, data work has stopped, and NMFS warns that a shutdown lasting more than two weeks could force precautionary quotas or missed deadlines for next year’s TACs. The shutdown is now approaching 30 days.

This disruption comes on top of the already severe erosion of NOAA personnel...

Les Hodges: New Season Alaska King and Snow Crab Quotas Announced!

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game released advisory announcements this past week showing gains across three major species of crab. Red king crab increased by 16%, Tanner (bairdi) jumped by 113%, and opilio snow crab increased by 97%! There was even a hybrid snow crab that will be harvested during the Opilio harvest. With fishing opening on October 15, buyers can expect Alaska red king and Tanner snow crab just in time for the holiday market.

Meanwhile, Norwegian frozen red king crab shipments through September reached 1.7 million...

Forrer Loses Final Appeal on Mismanagement of Yukon-Kuskokwim Chum and King Salmon

Last Friday, the Alaska Supreme Court upheld a lower-court decision that dismissed a case brought by Juneau resident and longtime Yukon and Kuskokwim River fisherman Eric Forrer in 2023. 

Forrer, a long-time Alaska resident, brought the suit in 2022, charging the Alaska Department of Fish and Game of violating the state Constitution’s mandate that “Fish, forests, wildlife, grasslands, and all other replenishable resources belonging to the State shall be utilized, developed, and maintained on the sustained yield principle, subject to preferences among beneficial uses...

Salmon Bycatch Reduction Efforts Use AI in Bering Sea Pollock Fishery

Meet YOLOv11, a model used to detect and identify salmon bycatch in the pollock trawl fishery in the Bering Sea. YOLOv11, which stands for You Only Look Once, version 11, was highly accurate and accomplished it more quickly than humans can.

Scientists at the Alaska Fisheries Science Center customized it to detect and identify both pollock and salmon in fishing nets. This allows scientists to semi-automate the video review process used to evaluate the effectiveness of bycatch reduction devices. They can also observe fish behavior to improve...

Quick Response During Storm Saves Circle Seafood’s Processing Barge in SE Alaska

During an intense storm last Monday, the Circle I, a freezer barge owned by Circle Seafoods of Aberdeen, WA, broke its mooring shortly after noon Alaska time. Within four hours, the 382-foot barge was secured and towed to a more sheltered location. Tuesday, less than 24 hours later, the barge was being towed to Ketchikan for repairs.  

The first notice from the Metlakatla Indian Community was sent by Mayor Albert Smith at 1:45 p.m. on Monday...

SE Alaska Red King Crab Season Opens November 1, Thanks to New Board of Fish Policy

Crab fishermen in Southeast Alaska will have an opportunity to begin harvesting highly sought-after red king crab this fall due to a significant policy shift in management approved by the state last February.  

The change allows a fishery to open under new management rules even if surveys show that the available biomass is less than the long-standing minimum threshold of 200,000 lbs.

The announcement from Alaska's Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) is for a regionwide guideline harvest level (GHL)...

On Eve Of US-Russia Summit, Five Chinese Research Ships at Work in US Arctic Waters 

An unprecedented five scientific research vessels from the People’s Republic of China, including one Chinese icebreaker, are being monitored by the U.S. Coast Guard on the eve of an historic summit between U.S. President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin in Anchorage tomorrow. 

Arctic research is not on the agenda for the high-level meeting, now set to take place at Joint Base Elmendorf-Richardson, just north of Anchorage’s downtown area...

USCG Rescues Four Crew From Sinking Vessel in Gulf of Alaska

Last Tuesday, US Coast Guard rescued four crewmen from a 110-foot vessel described as a “tug” about 130 miles south of Cordova, AK. The four crew, brought by helicopter to Cordova’s medical facilities, sustained no injuries.  

The Coast Guard’s first radio communication was received at around 10:17 a.m. on August 5 that the 110-foot “tug” Sea Ranger was taking on water. Rescue teams were dispatched immediately and reached the vessel by early afternoon. The crew initially reported no immediate danger, and a pump was delivered...