Coming up this week, it’s an interesting time to be in Sitka, as the North Pacific Council gets set to vote on Bering Sea halibut bycatch reductions; meanwhile, the state of Alaska is fixin’ to shut down if the legislature can’t agree on a budget – we’ll find out what that means for Fish and Game and our commercial fisheries; …

Emily Schwing/KUCB The finalization of a deal to acquire Horizon Lines’ Alaska operations means the nation’s largest Jones Act shipping company no longer exists. The Matson Navigation Company says isn’t planning any major changes to shipping service in the state. For decades, Horizon Lines provided regular shipping service between Tacoma, Washington and Anchorage, Kodiak and Unalaska.  “The three ships that …

Ed Schoenfeld/CoastAlaska All state ferries will stop sailing by early July if the Legislature fails to reach a budget deal.  The Alaska Marine Highway System’s plans are among dozens of state service cuts announced Monday by the Walker administration. Ferry spokesman Jeremy Woodrow says the 11 ships in the fleet will head to their home ports as close to July …

The AP/Dave Bendinger-KDLG/ Jay Barrett-KMXT A strong earthquake struck offshore of Kodiak Island late last night, but officials say there was no tsunami threat or immediate reports of damage. The U.S. Geological Survey says the magnitude-6.7 quake struck at 11 p.m. Thursday and was centered in the ocean about 35 miles beneath the seabed and about 160 miles southwest of …

Coming up this week, the Marine Stewardship Council is optimistic the big salmon packers will be welcomed back into the fold, but will it be in time for this year’s catch to be certified? A ship most fishermen never wanted to see will soon be going to the bottom itself, and good news: there was crab at Crab Fest this …

Emily Schwing/KUCB Alaska’s Russian Orthodox Bishop, David Mahaffey was in Unalaska last week. He has held his post in Alaska for just over a year. He says in that time, he’s placed more focus on work with the Regional Alcohol and Drug Abuse Counselor Training Program, or RADACT, to address issues of substance and alcohol abuse and domestic violence. “They’re …

Emily Schwing The Alaska state Ferry Tustumena spent at least five extra days off the water and missed its first scheduled sailing earlier this month, but it is headed for Unalaska this weekend.  Jeremy Woodrow is a spokesman with the Alaska Department of Transportation. He says repairs were made to a water main line essential in the event of a …

Coming up this week, a look at salmon fry heading out to sea, learning where salmon come from by looking in their ears, and Petersburg’s new dock gets dedicated. We had help from KFSK’s Joe Viechnicki in Petersburg, KTOO’s Matt Miller in Juneau and KDLG’s Hanna Colton in Dillingham.  

Come on down to Booth Number 1 and say howdy to KMXT’s staff and volunteers and look over the mountains of swag we’ve got for sale!   Also! Take our short survey about radio and help us better tailor our four radio stations’ programming!    

Today on Talk of the Rock, Host Kayla Desroches talks with Stephanie DeLaGarza about Crab Fest. DeLaGarza works with the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce and has been integral in organizing the famous Kodiak festival. They’ll chat about rides, food, and the list of activities on the schedule.