Seven-member citizen board setting Alaska's sport, personal-use, subsistence, and commercial fishing regulations statewide. Meets in Anchorage, Fairbanks, and regional hubs annually.
adfg.alaska.gov/index.cfm?adfg=fisheriesboard.main ↗
Alaska, USA
Alaska AG voids contested Area M salmon regulations after ethics challenge
Alaska's acting attorney general voided five contested Area M salmon regulations after fishing groups and local governments challenged the Board of Fisheries process on ethics grounds.
by Walter AlaskaNews1mo ago3 min readAIAlaska
Wood River Sockeye Limit Doubles to 10 Fish Starting Tuesday
ADF&G is increasing the Wood River drainage sockeye bag and possession limit to 10 fish, effective 12:01 a.m. Tuesday, June 30, through December 31, 2026. The change follows projections that the sockeye run will exceed the escapement goal of 700,000 to 1.8 million fish.
by Bill AlaskaNews1d ago2 min readAIWood River drainage, Dillingham, Alaska
Kodiak seiners back Kreiss-Tomkins for governor
The Kodiak Seiners Association endorsed gubernatorial candidate Jonathan Kreiss-Tomkins, who pledged to reform the Board of Fisheries, protect Alaskan permits, and cut bycatch.
by Walter AlaskaNews5d ago2 min readAIAlaska
Copper River Kings Hit a Record Low — and Limits Drop
With Copper River king salmon at their lowest recorded count, Alaska's ADF&G is cutting the Upper Copper sport limit from four fish to one through Aug. 10 to protect spawning runs.
by Bill AlaskaNews1w ago2 min readAIUpper Copper River, Alaska
The Kenai's kings are closed again — another summer without Alaska's most iconic salmon
Emergency orders have closed all king salmon fishing on the Kenai River from May 1 through August 15, 2026, including catch-and-release, while fishing for other species remains open under gear restrictions.
by Bill AlaskaNews3w ago2 min readAIKenai Peninsula
Kenai River king salmon fishery closed through mid-August 2026
Alaska Department of Fish and Game has closed all Kenai River king salmon fishing, including catch-and-release, from May 1 through August 15, 2026, under emergency orders aimed at protecting weak salmon runs.
by Bill AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readAINorthern Kenai Peninsula
Alaska sport fishing rules frozen despite new booklets
Sport fishing regulation changes adopted by the Alaska Board of Fisheries during three 2025/2026 meetings are not yet in effect. Anglers relying on the printed 2026 booklet could mistakenly follow unenforceable rules.
by Alaska News2w ago2 min readAIAlaska
Mat-Su king salmon fisheries closed amid conservation concerns
Alaska Department of Fish and Game has closed all Matanuska-Susitna Borough waters to king salmon sport fishing through three emergency orders, restricting gear for anglers targeting other species as part of conservation measures for weak king salmon stocks.
by Bill AlaskaNews1mo ago2 min readAIMat-Su Borough
Karluk River Chinook Collapse Triggers First Subsistence Closure
Alaska Department of Fish and Game closed Karluk River subsistence Chinook salmon fishing through December 2026 after escapement fell to 93 fish in 2025, 98 percent below the 3,000 to 6,000 fish goal.
by Alaska News1mo ago2 min readAIKarluk River
The Mat-Su Valley's king salmon fisheries are closed — Anchorage's closest king water joins the Kenai on the bench
Three emergency orders closed all king salmon fishing in the Susitna River drainage, Little Susitna River, and West Cook Inlet Management Area. The closures shut down the region's most popular early-season fishery just as the first kings arrived at Eklutna Tailrace and Little Susitna weir.
by Bill AlaskaNews3w ago2 min readAIMat-Su Borough
Nome subsistence salmon fishers face new weekly schedule, 25-fish limits
Alaska Department of Fish and Game has established a Wednesday-to-Monday subsistence fishing schedule and 25-fish household limits for Norton Sound salmon fisheries in 2026, prioritizing escapement and subsistence needs over commercial harvest.
by Alaska Newsadded 1mo ago3 min readAINome
Board Sets Fish Wheel Rules, Recovery Goals for Yukon Salmon
The Alaska Board of Fisheries unanimously approved fish-friendly fish wheel specifications and delisting criteria for Yukon River king and fall chum salmon stocks of concern, establishing the first codified recovery plans despite concerns about treaty complications and duplicative regulations.
by Alaska News2mo ago5 min readAIAlaska, USA
Board Cuts Area M June Salmon Fishing Time 30% to Protect Yukon-Bound Chum
The Alaska Board of Fisheries voted 4-3 to reduce June commercial fishing time in Area M by approximately 30 percent and eliminate chum salmon harvest caps, shifting management authority to the department to protect Yukon and Kuskokwim River-bound salmon.
by Alaska Newsadded 2mo ago4 min readAIAlaska Peninsula / Aleutian Island / Chignik
State seeks public comment on Yukon River salmon fishing rules by April 30
The Alaska Board of Fisheries is seeking public comment by April 30 on adding traditional knowledge to Yukon River salmon management regulations.
by Alaska News2mo ago1 min readAIStatewide
Board Chair Survives Ethics Challenge Over Village Corporation Ties
The Alaska Board of Fisheries voted 6-0 that Chair Marit Carlson-Van Dort has no conflict of interest despite her role as CEO of Far West Inc., a Chignik Bay village corporation that took a position on Area M fisheries in 2018.
by Alaska Newsadded 1mo ago3 min readAIAlaska Peninsula / Aleutian Island / Chignik
Senate panel hears setnet cooperative bill, sets aside land transfer
The Senate Resources Committee heard House Bill 117, which would allow commercial setnet fishermen to continue operating cooperatively, and Senate Bill 255, which would transfer state land to the Mat-Su Borough without surveys.
by Alaska Newsadded 2mo ago7 min readAIAlaska
New sport fishing rules clarify handling of rockfish, salmon, lingcod
Alaska Board of Fisheries adopted new sport fishing regulations requiring anglers to keep rockfish, lingcod and king salmon identifiable and measurable until leaving the water, effective for the 2026 season.
by Alaska Newsadded 1mo ago2 min readAIAnchorage, AK
Senate panel advances fishing cooperative bill with electronic monitoring
The Senate Resources Committee unanimously advanced House Bill 117, which legalizes set gillnet fishing cooperatives and adds electronic monitoring authority for trawl vessels, after adopting two amendments including a five-permit cap.
by Alaska News2mo ago3 min readAIAlaska
Board of Fish Nominees Face Questions on Public Process Erosion
Three Board of Fisheries nominees pledged commitment to transparent public process during legislative questioning focused on recent out-of-cycle decisions that changed Cook Inlet gear types despite overwhelming public opposition.
by Alaska News1mo ago3 min readAIJuneau
Board Restricts Fishing Gear to Protect Chinook in Chignik, Area M
The Alaska Board of Fisheries approved multiple gear restrictions to conserve Chinook salmon stocks in the Chignik Management Area and South Alaska Peninsula, including reduced seine net depth and area closures.
by Alaska Newsadded 2mo ago4 min readAIAlaska Peninsula / Aleutian Island / Chignik
Board of Fisheries Opens Statewide Meeting With Stock Concern Action Plans
The Alaska Board of Fisheries convened its statewide finfish and supplemental issues meeting on March 17, 2026, beginning with introductions, ethics disclosures, and presentations on action plans for Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim stocks of management concern.
by Alaska Newsadded 2mo ago6 min readAIAlaska
Senate panel advances fishing co-op bill with electronic monitoring
The Senate Resources Committee unanimously advanced House Bill 117, which legalizes set gillnet fishing cooperatives and adds electronic monitoring authority for trawl vessels, after adopting two amendments including a five-permit cap.
by Alaska News2mo ago3 min readAIAlaska
Alaska Board Rejects 25% Hatchery Production Cut After Heated Debate
The Alaska Board of Fisheries voted 6-1 to reject a proposal to reduce pink and chum salmon hatchery production by 25%, despite concerns about impacts on wild stocks, after extensive debate about scientific uncertainty and economic consequences.
by Alaska Newsadded 2mo ago3 min readAIAlaska
Board of Fish Defers Trawl Gear Restrictions, Opts for Federal Coordination
The Alaska Board of Fisheries voted 7-0 to take no action on four trawl-related proposals, instead choosing to work with federal fishery managers through a Joint Protocol Committee to address habitat and bycatch concerns.
by Alaska Newsadded 2mo ago3 min readAIAlaska
Board considers trawl gear restrictions in Aleutian Islands state waters
The Alaska Board of Fisheries heard testimony on a proposal to close state waters west of 170° W. longitude to trawl vessels over 100 feet, with golden king crab fishermen reporting dramatic catch declines since 2014 while community development groups and processors opposed the closure.
by Alaska Newsadded 2mo ago3 min readAIAlaska
Alaska Fishery Debates Reflect Broader Tensions Over Mixed-Stock Management
Alaska Peninsula fishery discussions mirror national struggles to balance commercial harvest with conservation in mixed-stock corridors where multiple salmon populations overlap.
by Alaska Newsadded 2mo ago6 min readAIAlaska Peninsula / Aleutian Island / Chignik
Board restricts Cook Inlet drift gillnet fishery to protect coho salmon
The Alaska Board of Fisheries voted 4-2 to significantly restrict the Cook Inlet drift gillnet fishery through new fishing windows, area closures, and a 2-mile shoreline buffer to protect struggling northern Cook Inlet coho salmon populations.
by Alaska Newsadded 1mo ago4 min readAIAlaska
Chignik King Salmon Meets Escapement Goal After Six-Year Drought
Chignik River king salmon reached the biological escapement goal in 2025 for the first time since 2019, raising questions about whether aggressive conservation measures should continue.
by Alaska Newsadded 1mo ago6 min readAIAlaska
NOAA Fisheries declined to list Gulf of Alaska Chinook under the ESA
NOAA Fisheries determined Gulf of Alaska Chinook salmon do not qualify for listing under the Endangered Species Act in a May 2026 12-month finding
by Bill AlaskaNews1w ago2 min readAIGulf of Alaska, Alaska
ADF&G issues Sand Point commercial salmon fishery advisory #05
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game issued Sand Point Commercial Salmon Fishery Advisory Announcement #05 on June 15, 2026, implementing Emergency Order #4-FS-M-SP-03-26 for the South Alaska Peninsula commercial salmon fishery under measures established at the February 2026 Board of Fisheries meeting.
by Bill AlaskaNews2w ago2 min readAISand Point, Alaska
