By Isabelle Ross, KDLG – Dillingham -April 2, 2021 51 million sockeye are forecast to return to Bristol Bay this summer. If that holds, commercial fishermen will be able to harvest around 37 million reds. That’s 13% more than the average harvests of the past decade. But concerns remain about the numbers of chinook salmon in the Nushagak District on …

This float spotted by U.S. Coast Guard searchers is believed to be from the missing helicopter piloted by former tribal health executive Andy Teuber. (U.S. Coast Guard via NTSB) By  Nathaniel Herz, Alaska Public Media – Anchorage-March 23, 2021 A witness who spoke with a tribal health executive before his helicopter went missing earlier this month told federal investigators that …

Erin McKinstry, KCAW | Mar 17, 2021 For years, Bret Bradford has lived the seasonal rhythm of a commercial fisherman. He spends summers gillnetting salmon out of Cordova, and in the winter, he looks for odd jobs around town. When a friend asked if wanted to spend the winters growing kelp instead, he saw an opportunity for stable, year-round work. “I …

March 17, 2021 by Sage Smiley, KSTK – Wrangell Members of the citizen boards that set the rules for fishing and hunting on state lands aren’t allowed to join the discussion if they have a conflict of interest. But Alaska’s House Fisheries Committee is considering a bill that would allow members of the Board of Fisheries and Board of Game to join in those …

March 16, 2021 by Sabine Poux, Alaska’s Energy Desk – Kenai Hilcorp purchased several blocks of federal leases in Cook Inlet in 2017. Hilcorp bought several federal leases in a 2017 sale. The company’s now seeking a permit to conduct geohazard surveys on some of those leases. (Bureau of Ocean Energy Management) Before it can even think about exploring for oil and …

March 12, 2021 by Claire Stremple, Alaska’s Energy Desk Tickets are already on sale for what’s called “Alaska’s Super Seven Big Game Raffle.” If it sounds kind of like buying a lottery ticket for musk ox — or another one of the seven most sought after species in the state, like a brown bear or a caribou — it is. Alaska’s Department …

March 11, 2021 by Jacob Resneck, CoastAlaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has proposed a new bill to boost independent oversight and planning for the Alaska Marine Highway System. In a statement Wednesday, the governor said the legislation would improve the reliability and efficiency of the fleet. “As we continue efforts to restructure and modernize the Alaska Marine Highway System, it is imperative the long-term operations and finances …

March 2, 2021 by Liz Ruskin, Alaska Public Media The U.S. Army Corps of Engineers will reconsider its decision to deny a permit for the proposed Pebble Mine. The agency has accepted an appeal application from the Pebble Limited Partnership. The Army Corps says the application is sufficient to begin an administrative appeal. The Corps decided in November that Pebble’s plan to mitigate …

By Nathaniel Herz, Alaska Public Media – Anchorage – March 2, 2021 For the past year, Alaska officials have ceaselessly reminded residents of the importance of mitigation measures during the COVID-19 pandemic: Wear your mask, social distance and quarantine after traveling. What happens when those guidelines aren’t followed? Ask residents of Cordova, the Prince William Sound fishing town of 2,000, …

By ISABELLE ROSS • KDLG     FEB 26, 2021 Larry Van Daele has worked as a biologist in Alaska for four decades, with the 34 years, and on the Board of Game for four. He spent eight of those years in Bristol Bay, from 1990 – 1998. “Dillingham was the highlight of my career,” he said. “I got started with the Alaska …