Fisheries

Potential legislative seafood industry task force gets support from Kodiak Island Borough Mayor, OBI Seafoods, and others

The Alaska Legislature is planning to create a seafood industry task force that will give recommendations to help sustain the state’s seafood industry. A joint legislative resolution forming the task force, SCR 10 which is sponsored by Republican Senator Gary Stevens of Kodiak, had its first hearing on March 7 in the Senate Finance Committee. Half a dozen representatives from …

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Trident commits to summer salmon season in Kodiak much to fishermen’s relief

Salmon spread across the deck of a fishing vessel during last summer’s record season in Bristol Bay. (Hope McKenney/KUCB)

Trident Seafoods is getting closer to securing a buyer for its year-round plant in Kodiak. But even if the deal isn’t closed in time for the upcoming salmon season, the company has committed to buying commercial salmon anyway. Trident announced on Friday that it has multiple interested buyers for its Kodiak processing plant, one of four plants the company put …

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Kodiak’s Fish & Game Advisory Committee working on bylaws to prevent undermining of the group and strengthen representation

Kodiak’s Fish and Game Advisory Committee [AC] is making headway on its bylaws following a public fissure amongst committee members during a recent Board of Fish meeting. The Kodiak committee advises the state Department of Fish and Game on local hunting and fishing. During a committee meeting last Tuesday, Feb. 27, one of the hot topics was the fallout from …

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Halibut harvest limits continue to decline amid poor population surveys

Fishermen are once again looking at lower catch limits for halibut this year. That’s after harvest levels were cut last year too. KMXT’s Brian Venua reports that news comes as fishery managers say the species had its worst recruitment in decades. Catch limits for Pacific halibut this year are down to about 35.3 million pounds across the entire fishery, which …

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Alaska Fisheries Report 22 February 2024

North Pacific Right Whales seen in Barnabas Trough, 25 miles south of Kodiak Island, in 2021 (NOAA Fisheries)

This week on the Alaska Fisheries Report with Terry Haines: Davis Hovey reports on expansion of critical habitat for North Pacific Right Whales for KMXT, Jeremy Hsieh on Eklutna Lake restoration wrangling for Alaska Public Radio, and KDLL’s Riley Board reports that the EPA has charged a Soldotna man with damaging salmon habitat. North Pacific Right Whales seen in Barnabas …

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Alaska Fisheries Report 15 February 2024

Alaska razor clams. (Jenny Neyman/KDLL)

This week on the Alaska Fisheries Report with Terry Haines: A report about paralytic shellfish poisoning from Alaska Public Media’s Kavitha George, KBBI’s Jamie Diep on the effects of ocean acidification on razor clams, and Hannah Flor reports about an electronic monitoring bill that gets a lukewarm reception from industry. Alaska razor clams. (Jenny Neyman/KDLL)

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OBI Seafoods to close Larsen Bay processing plant for 2024 season

Updated Feb. 2, 2024 OBI Seafoods announced Wednesday, Jan. 31 it will not open its summer fish processing plant in Larsen Bay, on the west end of Kodiak Island. The company will still buy salmon from the area’s fishermen, but will rely on its facility in the city of Kodiak instead. KMXT’s Brian Venua reports it’s the latest plant to …

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