Commercial Fisheries
RSSCommercial fisheries in Alaska is the harvest and sale of wild seafood, from salmon, crab and groundfish to halibut and herring. The Board of Fisheries and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council set catch limits and bycatch rules for salmon, crab, pollock and halibut fleets statewide.
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Week of Jun 8
Both cranes on Cordova's Drive Down Dock are out of service at the height of Copper River salmon season
Bad timing for fishing season as Cordova Drive down dock crane is not up to snuff
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min read
Kotzebue Sound crab opener set for June 15 with no buyers registered
Alaska opens Kotzebue Sound red king crab fishing June 15 with a 10,000-pound limit, but no registered buyers, forcing fishermen to sell directly to dockside customers instead of processors.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
North Coast Chinook Troll Fishery Opens 5 Days, Then Closes
Washington-Oregon commercial Chinook troll fishery opens for just five days, June 12-16, reflecting coast-wide salmon scarcity that also shapes Alaska's harvest limits under the Pacific Salmon Treaty.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Dunleavy was at Trump's signing reopening 500,000 square miles of Western Pacific to commercial fishing
The Alaska angle is about Antiquities Act precedent, not fishing grounds
by Cale Green5mo ago2 min read
Kodiak seafood permit bars waste deposits on seafloor
Alaska's new seafood processing wastewater permit for Kodiak bans dumping waste on the seafloor starting June 2026, ending a practice unique to Alaska that has left massive piles of bones and shells creating dead zones underwater.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Halibut anglers on Alaska charters now pay $20 a day — and the money is funding a decades-old battle over who gets to catch the fish
Alaska charter anglers now pay $20 per day to keep halibut in Southeast and Southcentral waters, a federal fee that funds the charter sector's purchase of commercial fishing quota to expand their halibut allocation.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Bristol Bay fishery opens under old rules as new regs stall in review
Bristol Bay's commercial salmon season opened June 1 under old rules while new regulations adopted in January remain stalled in legal review.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
ADF&G opens six Kodiak sections to commercial fishing, bans large Chinook retention
Alaska Department of Fish and Game opened six Kodiak commercial salmon sections to purse seine fishing June 9 but banned retention of Chinook salmon 28 inches or larger, citing low king salmon runs in the Karluk and Ayakulik river systems.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
More from Commercial Fisheries
Week of Jun 1
Alaska closes Yukon subsistence salmon fishing through early June
Alaska closed subsistence Chinook and summer chum salmon fishing across the Yukon River through early June, affecting twelve upriver communities where weak salmon runs have triggered multi-year restrictions.
by Alaska News5mo ago1 min read
Southeast outer coast lingcod fishery closes after hitting quota
Alaska closed the Southern Southeast Outer Coast commercial lingcod fishery Saturday after boats landed the full 50,100-pound quota, though sport fishing and other areas remain open.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Russian seafood floods US markets as Alaska fishermen seek relief
Russian seafood still reaches US markets through third-country processing despite a five-year federal import ban, leaving Alaska pollock and cod fishermen facing continued price pressure below pre-ban levels.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Hatchery groups cite NOAA Chinook decision as validation
NOAA found Gulf of Alaska Chinook salmon do not warrant endangered-species protection, a decision hatchery operators cite as validation of their management but that critics say masks weaker local populations.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
ADF&G opens Copper River drift gillnet fishery Thursday for 24 hours
Alaska Department of Fish and Game opens Copper River drift gillnet fishery for 24 hours starting 7 a.m. Thursday, June 26, targeting sockeye salmon while monitoring Chinook conservation limits of 21,000 to 31,000 fish.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min read
Begich bill to expand commerce in Alaska sea otter handicrafts gets first congressional hearing
A new bill in Congress that asks, what otter we do?
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Sullivan: Russia flooding markets to drive down Alaska fish prices
Senator Dan Sullivan says a U.S. ban on Russian seafood protects Alaska fishermen from market flooding. • Reports show Russian fish still enters the U.S. through China, bypassing the ban. • Experts say global market factors also drive down Alaska fish prices.
by Alaska Newsadded 5mo ago2 min read
Alaska fishery disaster funds stalled at OMB despite congressional approval
Congress approved $300 million in fishery disaster relief for Alaska in December 2024, but the Office of Management and Budget has not released the funds to fishing families waiting for relief.
by Alaska News5mo ago1 min read
Coming up
NPFMC Joint, BSAI and GOA Groundfish Plan Team Meetings
Alaska Fisheries Science Center, 7600 Sand Point Way N.E., Building 4, Seattle, WA (Joint and BSAI teams in the Traynor Room, 2076; GOA team in Room 2079), and Zoom (registration on the eAgenda)
Meeting
Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission Public Meeting
Meeting
North Pacific Fishery Management Council Scientific and Statistical Committee Meeting
Meeting
NPFMC SSC December 2026
Meeting
Written Comment Deadline: NPFMC Joint, BSAI and GOA Groundfish Plan Team Meetings
Public notice
About Commercial Fisheries
Commercial fisheries in Alaska take in the harvest and sale of wild seafood, including salmon, crab, pollock, cod, halibut, sablefish, herring, rockfish and scallops. Fleets work from Bristol Bay and the Bering Sea to the Gulf of Alaska, Kodiak, Prince William Sound, Norton Sound and Southeast.
The Alaska Department of Fish and Game and the Board of Fisheries manage state waters, while the North Pacific Fishery Management Council and NOAA set rules for federal waters. Seasons open and close as catch limits are reached, and managers set quotas, bycatch caps and observer coverage for each fleet.
Recurring questions include declining stocks such as Bering Sea snow crab, salmon bycatch in the pollock fleet, how quota is divided among gear groups and regions, and access to markets abroad. The Coast Guard patrols the fishing grounds, and fisheries connect closely to sport fishing, subsistence and the wider environment.
More from Commercial Fisheries
A House bill on NOAA workplace safety is built on data from Alaska — where a third of fisheries observers report harassment or assault
A House bill to strengthen sexual harassment protections at NOAA is built on data from Alaska's North Pacific Observer Program, where nearly one third of the roughly 400 annual observers report harassment or assault.
by Alaska News5mo ago2 min read
Challenger named Dan Sullivan files against Senator Dan Sullivan
A candidate named Dan Sullivan filed to challenge incumbent U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan in Alaska's 2026 race, creating a ballot naming problem the state elections division must solve.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 5mo ago1 min read
Week of May 25
DNR lifts moratorium on Nushagak Bay shore fishery lease applications
Alaska lifted a three year moratorium on commercial salmon fishing leases along Nushagak Bay's east shore, reopening applications from June 1 to October 15 each year.
by Alaska News5mo ago1 min read
Kenai River king salmon fishery closed through mid-August 2026
Kenai River king salmon fishing closed May 1 through August 15, 2026 under emergency order. Third consecutive year of full closure due to conservation concerns. Other species fishing allowed with single-hook lures only. Nearby Kasilof River open to limited hatchery king salmon fishing.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago2 min readFrom 
Eagle River king salmon fishery closed for 2026 season
Alaska closed all king salmon sport fishing in Eagle River through July 13, 2026 due to weak fish populations and unmet escapement goals.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago1 min readFrom 
Week of May 18
Alaska AG voids contested Area M salmon regulations after ethics challenge
Alaska attorney general voided five salmon regulations after board members failed to disclose conflicts of interest. • Fishing groups won relief through ethics enforcement instead of court. • Regulations would have restricted fishing time and added chinook catch closures. • Board must restart the process to readopt any rules.
by Walter AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min read
Craig, Klawock Anglers Face New Ban on Filleting Fish at Sea
Anglers returning to Craig and Klawock must keep lingcod, rockfish, and king or coho salmon whole until docking, a new rule aimed at helping state biologists collect better data on fish populations.
by Bill AlaskaNews5mo ago3 min readWeek of May 11
Nome subsistence salmon fishers face new weekly schedule, 25-fish limits
Alaska Fish and Game set a Wednesday-to-Monday subsistence fishing schedule and 25-fish household limits for Norton Sound salmon in 2026, citing conservation concerns across the region.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min readFederal Decision Keeps Chinook Management in Alaska's Hands
Federal fisheries officials decided Gulf of Alaska Chinook salmon do not need endangered species protection, keeping management authority with Alaska instead of the federal government.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readWeek of May 4
Halibut Landings Lag 80% Behind Quota as Prices Hit $7/lb
Halibut landings lag at 18 percent of quota by early May as dock prices hold strong at $6 to $7 per pound, while sablefish catches outpace expectations.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago2 min readSenate panel advances Ketchikan mariculture manager to Board of Fisheries
Senate panel advanced Paul Cyr, a Ketchikan mariculture manager, to the Alaska Board of Fisheries, restoring Southeast Alaska's representation on the board that sets statewide fishing rules.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
Senate panel advances compromise on fish processor sick leave
Senate panel advanced a compromise limiting paid sick leave for seasonal fish processors to 48 hours per year, with a 30-day waiting period, modifying voter-approved requirements.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
Board of Fish Nominees Face Questions on Public Process Erosion
Three Board of Fisheries nominees pledged Tuesday to restore public trust after the board made an out-of-cycle Cook Inlet salmon gear decision despite 280 opposing comments.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min readChignik King Salmon Meets Escapement Goal After Six-Year Drought
Chignik River king salmon hit the escapement goal in 2025 for the first time since 2019, but the state is still weighing whether to ease the fishing restrictions that helped the recovery.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago6 min read
Week of Apr 27
Board restricts Cook Inlet drift gillnet fishery to protect coho salmon
Alaska's Board of Fisheries voted Friday to restrict Cook Inlet drift gillnet fishing to protect coho salmon, limiting the fleet to two 12-hour windows per week and a 2-mile buffer from shore.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
Board Chair Survives Ethics Challenge Over Village Corporation Ties
The Board of Fisheries voted 6-0 to let Chair Marit Carlson-Van Dort vote on Area M proposals despite questions about her corporate ties.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
Fish and Game closes Malina Bay herring fishery for season
Alaska Fish and Game closed Malina Bay herring fishing Wednesday evening after the section hit its 100-ton spring quota, shutting down sac roe harvest near Kodiak for the rest of the season.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min readAlaska Fishery Debates Reflect Broader Tensions Over Mixed-Stock Management
Alaska fishery managers debated how to protect struggling salmon stocks when healthy and depleted fish migrate together, with proposals ranging from gear restrictions to area closures.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago6 min read
Board Restricts Fishing Gear to Protect Chinook in Chignik, Area M
Alaska Board of Fisheries restricted seine net depth in Chignik to protect struggling Chinook salmon, effective 2027, after the local fleet voluntarily requested the limits.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
Board Cuts Area M June Salmon Fishing Time 30% to Protect Yukon-Bound Chum
Alaska's Board of Fisheries voted 4-3 to cut June salmon fishing time in Area M by 30 to 39 percent, removing industry catch limits to protect chum and kings bound for Western Alaska rivers.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago4 min read
Board of Fisheries Opens Statewide Meeting With Stock Concern Action Plans
The Alaska Board of Fisheries met March 17 to weigh management plans for struggling Western Alaska salmon stocks.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago6 min read
House panel hears bill to let small Alaska fishermen process, sell catch directly
House Bill 356 would let small Alaska fishermen process and sell catch directly without industrial processor rules, if they harvest under 10,000 pounds annually.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
Board considers trawl gear restrictions in Aleutian Islands state waters
The Alaska Board of Fisheries delayed a decision on banning large trawlers from Aleutian state waters to weigh habitat concerns against a potential 7 million dollar processing deal.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min readBoard of Fish Defers Trawl Gear Restrictions, Opts for Federal Coordination
Alaska Board of Fisheries unanimously deferred trawl restrictions, opting to coordinate with federal managers on gear standards instead.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
