Lauren Rosenthal/KUCB As the Alaska Marine Highway System celebrates its 50th, anniversary year, there is intense pressure to cut costs, and ferry managers are trying to get back to basics — transporting Alaskans and their freight. And that’s why the state is phasing out wildlife naturalists on all ferry routes.

Ellen Lockyer/KSKA The city of Seward and a Western Alaska CDQ group are working on a plan for a new harbor in the Southcentral community that could shelter a Bering Sea fishing fleet. As KSKA’s Ellen Lockyer reports, the innovative plan is designed to keep more fishing related income in Alaska, and help revive Seward’s seafood processing industry.

Brianna Gibbs/KMXT The fish processing vessel that ran aground almost two weeks ago has been refloated. On March 15 the M/V Pacific Producer ran aground near the village of Ouzinkie. At the time of the grounding it had an estimated 8,000 gallons of diesel fuel on board, as well as various lubes and oils. According to a situation report from …

Ed Ronco/KCAW Federal spending cutbacks known as sequestration will have less of an impact on the Coast Guard in Alaska than they will elsewhere in the country. That’s the word from Rear Admiral Thomas Ostebo, who is in charge of the Coast Guard’s District 17, which encompasses all of Alaska. Ostebo made the remarks at an award ceremony Friday at …

Alexandra Gutierrez/APRN After a lengthy debate, the Alaska Senate narrowly passed a bill that would overhaul the state’s oil tax regime. The changes are projected to give oil companies a break of at least $600 million per year. “The bill we have in front of us is an historic gamble with the people’s money," said Kodiak’s Gary Stevens, a Republican …

Lauren Rosenthal/KUCB Final preparations are being made to transfer Shell Oil’s floating drill rig Kulluk to Asia. Early yesterday morning, three tugboats maneuvered the Shell rig out of its berth in Unalaska and onto the deck of the partially submerged Xiang Rui Kou heavy lift vessel. Before the operation started, marine pilot Carter Whalen said the Kulluk would be a …

Representative Gabrielle LeDoux, R-Anchorage, speaks with House Finance Committee Co-Chair Alan Austerman, R-Kodiak, following Monday’s House floor session at the Capitol. LeDoux’s House Concurrent Resolution 4 passed unanimously during the floor session. HCR 4 proclaims May 15 annually as Hmong-American Veterans Memorial Day in honor of the thousands of Hmong who fought alongside U.S. military members during Vietnam. (House Majority …

Ed Schoenfeld/CoastAlaska The federal government has a new proposal for defining handicrafts made out of sea otter pelts. But it’s not what some crafts-makers expected. CoastAlaska’s Ed Schoenfeld reports.

Mike Mason/KDLG Late Friday afternoon Governor Parnell announced his choices to fill a pair of seats on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council. Among them was current member Duncan Fields of Kodiak, who is completing his second term on the Council. Fields spoke about the Council process at the 2012 SWAMC conference in Anchorage. “Council process is like watching an …

Lauren Rosenthal/KUCB Shell’s Kulluk drill rig is almost ready to leave Alaska waters. The heavy lift vessel that will take the damaged oil rig to Asia for repairs arrived in Unalaska on Sunday afternoon. The Kulluk has been in Unalaska for two weeks, waiting for the 700-foot Xiang Rui Kou to arrive from China. Marine pilot Carter Whalen says it …