Alaska Fisheries Report

Maggie Wall/KMXT Salmon, salmon, salmon. It’s that time of the year in Alaska as fishermen gear up and head out to the grounds. Kodiak’s sockeye season opens early thanks to roughly 46,000 fish passing through the Karluk River weir all in one day. The fish must have been crammed into the river like sardines in a can. The Bristol Bay …

Maggie Wall – KMXT Salmon season opens with southeast-troll-caught kings worth twice the value of a barrel of oil. We’ll look at the forecast for salmon around the state, including the Nushagak River which supports one of the largest king runs in the world. The price of crab quotas is on the rise, but new rules cut into crew shares. …

Maggie Wall/KMXT A joint session of the Alaska Legislature approves Fish Board appointments. All three are familiar faces. State budget woes—more specifically the lack of a Fish and Game budget—may cause a delay to some programs and seriously threaten salmon season. The “First Fish” folks are still waiting to catch those famous Copper River salmon. The schedule was calling for …

Maggie Wall/KMXT Togiak herring is a done deal for seiners, but gillnetters are still on the grounds fishing. Fishing kicks off in the Copper River area with restaurants in the Pacific Northwest ready to serve the year’s first salmon. And halibut quota share prices are skyrocketing. All that and fish music coming up on this week’s edition of the Alaska …

Maggie Wall/KMXT Salmon opens in less than two weeks, we’ll have predictions and forecasts. While salmon might get a lot of press, there are tons of other fish being caught this time of year. We’ll have a statewide round up of who’s fishing what. Togiak herring opened, fishermen are fishing and spotters are spotting. We have a spotter’s eye view …

Maggie Wall/KMXT A new report shows that Alaska seafood now tops the list of favorite protein items at restaurants around the country. The massive Northern Edge military exercise begins May 1, and the Navy finalizes its plans for training in the northern Gulf of Alaska. Kelp could be the next big seafood product. And yet another giant squid has turned …

Maggie Wall/KMXT In Bristol Bay, Togiak herring biologists are predicting a May opener. Chemical oil spill dispersants are better for birds than they are for fish and some biologist want to set up new protocols to put in effect before a spill occurs, and more monitoring of dispersants after a spill. Speaking of oil spills…Vessel owners and crews around southcentral …

Maggie Wall/KMXT Coming up this week, Sitka Sound sac roe herring fishermen scoop up nearly half the year’s quota in two short openers. Alaska salmon permit holders are wondering how proposed Navy training in the Gulf of Alaska will affect salmon. If you’re a permit holder, expect a letter in the mail asking for your help to change the date …

Maggie Wall/KMXT Coming up this week’s Alaska Fisheries Report… In Juneau, legislators debate the merits of raising the fuel tax. A measure would require skippers to collect taxes from their crew and send it to the State Revenue Department. And the Senate Resources Committee hears from several Alaskans nominated for the Board of Fish. Meanwhile, on the other side of …

Coming up this week, the Sitka Tribe would like to see changes to how herring are managed, part of The Blob, let’s call it “Blob Jr.,” had some significant effects on Kachemak Bay, and how Fish and Game is coping with ongoing budget cuts in the face of the state’s fiscal situation. We had vital contributions this week from KCAW’s …