The state accounts for roughly half, about 25 out of 53, of the fishery disasters declared around the country since 2020, which include a variety of species like salmon, crab and Pacific cod.

This year’s harvest, for both pot vessels and jig vessels, is 5.6 million pounds. Half of that, 2.83 million pounds, is allocated for pots. The season for fishermen who use jig gear started at the beginning of the year.

KMXT’s Davis Hovey recently spoke with Nick Mangini about his own journey as a former commercial fishermen turned Kodiak kelp farmer, and the industry’s growth around Kodiak Island within the last year.

The process for distributing fishery disaster relief will get some needed relief of its own. That’s after former President Joe Biden signed a bill earlier this month that aims to speed up the time it takes to get disaster money into fishermen’s hands.

The Alaska Seafood Task Force is trying to slim down 20 pages of suggestions for addressing the many issues plaguing the state’s seafood industry. The group must now settle on its final recommendations before it disbands on Feb. 1.

The Kodiak Crab Alliance Cooperative, which represents the local fleet, will deliver between 70 and 80 percent of the total harvest to one processor that offered the best price. Alaska Pacific Seafoods will pay $5.75 per pound for the lion’s share of Tanner crabs.

The recent buy is just the latest influx of cash to Alaska’s seafood industry from the federal government. The USDA spent about $200 million purchasing seafood like salmon and pollock last year, according to the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute.

The Alaska Department of Fish & Game is slated to receive another funding boost as part of Governor Mike Dunleavy’s proposed budget for fiscal year 2026. Millions of that potential money will support research for crashing Chinook salmon stocks.

For Kodiak, this Prince William Sound fishery is estimated to bring in approximately $1 million in dockside value, along with severance tax revenue for the borough and sales tax revenue for the city.

One of the ideas rising to the top of the Alaska Seafood Task Force’s forthcoming recommendations is an insurance pool for commercial fishermen. That's according to information the group’s chairperson shared on Dec. 18 with the Kodiak Fisheries Work Group.