Hundreds of commercial salmon fishermen around Kodiak Island opted not to fish this past summer. That’s according to data released by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game on Nov 5. Limited participation, a lack of salmon, and additional market factors created one of the lowest valued commercial seasons on record.

The Kodiak region’s commercial Tanner crab fishery will open again in 2025. But fishermen will have just a fraction of last year’s harvest level, following a decades-long up and down pattern for the species’ population.

It's part of a total $104 million headed to Alaska to help pay for coastal infrastructure. About half the money will go towards Anchorage, the other five communities awarded will receive about $11 million each.

A Kodiak High School cooking class had an important lesson only a coastal community school could host – what to do with a live king crab. Students were also reminded where food comes from.

For the first time in decades, there will be a commercial herring fishery in Prince William Sound. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced on Oct. 25 that a small food and bait fishery will open this month – that is, if fishermen can find a buyer.

Kodiak folks had a chance to buy live Bristol Bay red king crab straight from a fishing boat last week for the second year in a row. Low population estimates completely shut down the fishery in 2021 and 2022. But now, there are signs the population is recovering. Fishermen say a small but consistent season is a huge relief.

It’s been more than a month since the Central Gulf of Alaska Pollock trawl fishery was abruptly shut down on Sept. 25, following an unusually large amount of Chinook salmon bycatch. As the dust settles, the economic ripple effects of that closure are being felt across Kodiak.

The Star of Kodiak plant in its namesake town is the last plant to sell after Trident Seafoods announced its plan to sell a third of its Alaska facilities in December 2023. Pacific Seafood already has a plant in Kodiak though — its CEO called the purchase an opportunity to expand their operations on the island.

Oct. 7 marks the opening of the commercial herring food and bait fishery in Kodiak. Despite a near record quota, participation continues to be limited. But some fishermen are pushing for more permits to be issued.

The National Marine Fisheries Service announced that it was shutting down the rest of the Central Gulf of Alaska pollock season. That’s after reports that the trawler fleet incidentally caught “unprecedented amounts of Chinook salmon” this week.