Fisheries

Some areas in Alaska have entirely wild salmon runs. But there’s also 28 hatcheries around the state. Two of those facilities are based in Kodiak, including one near the mouth of Pillar Creek, just outside of town.  It all starts with egg takes. Hatchery staff and volunteers take four wheelers or fly out to remote lakes to catch fish that …

This week on the Alaska Fisheries Report with Terry Haines: Brian Venua’s report on the salmon market, from KMXT, Desiree Hagen’s spot on the Kotzebue salmon closure, and a stroll around a noisy Kodiak boat harbor.

The National Transportation Safety Board released its findings on August 30 for a Kodiak fishing boat that capsized northeast of the village of Karluk on August 7, last year.  ​​​The Challenger capsizing after striking a submerged rock off the coast of Alaska. (Alward Fisheries, via the NTSB’s website) The Challenger was a total loss and damages  exceeded $600,000, although no …

This week the Alaska Fisheries Report with host Terry Haines features Evan Erickson’s story about one man openers on the Kuskokwim, from KYUK, the starry predator that eats urchins is featured in Meredith Redick’s story for KCAW, and a deadly ammonia leak, story by KUCB’s Maggie Nelson. The sunflower sea star

Kodiak fisherman Mike Friccero has fished for salmon for over four decades. He said he was expecting a low price for Bristol Bay salmon this summer, but didn’t think rumors were true about how low it would drop.  “Our processor gave us a letter, a narrative before the season started, saying that pricing conditions weren’t great but that they were …

Alaska’s senators brought Sen. John Boozman of Arkansas to Kodiak this week. Boozman is the ranking member of the Senate’s Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry committee and is on a tour to see what farming looks like around the country.  One of their first stops was the Kodiak Harvest Foods Co-op. They asked staff and volunteers some questions about how the …

This week the Alaska Fisheries Report with host Terry Haines features Jamie Diep’s story on the latest mariculture meet up, courtesy of KBBI, a report on the sudden drop in salmon prices by KFSK’s Hannah Flor, and voracious young black cod could be a challenge for salmon hatcheries, according to Thomas Copeland, also of KFSK. Sablefish swimming just above the …

On this week’s Alaska Fishery Report with Terry Haines: Shelby Herbert tells of a clam garden in Kake for KFSK, and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council is calling for Advisory Panel nominations! Clam garden on British Columbia’s Central Coast – Photo by Elroy White

The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration has released a sweeping five-year plan to prioritize and promote the country’s commercial fishing industry.  Commercial fishing vessels docked in the St. Paul Harbor in Kodiak; Feb. 6, 2023 (Brian Venua/KMXT) NOAA Fisheries announced its National Seafood Strategy on Wednesday. The agency said in a press release that the plan will “outline the direction” …

Kodiak fishermen are disappointed by yet another setback to this year’s salmon season. Trident Seafoods announced over the weekend that they will pay just 20 cents per pound for chums – that’s less than half of last year’s price per pound – and will stop buying salmon altogether from most of the state starting in September.  Boats docked in Kodiak’s …