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 Apr 27
Alaska Board Rejects 25% Hatchery Production Cut After Heated Debate
Alaska Board of Fisheries rejected a 25% hatchery production cut, voting 6-1 against the measure after debate over wild salmon impacts and coastal fishing jobs.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago3 min read
Fish and Game sets cleanup rules for herring pound structures
Fish and Game issued cleanup rules April 28 for herring pound structures in Prince William Sound, requiring commercial operators to remove them after harvest to prevent disease spread.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min read
Week of Apr 20
Senate panel hears setnet cooperative bill, sets aside land transfer
Senate panel advanced a bill allowing setnet fishermen to work cooperatively, addressing enforcement conflicts, while postponing a land transfer proposal pending more details.
by Alaska Newsadded 6mo ago7 min read
Senate panel advances fishing co-op bill with electronic monitoring
The Senate Resources Committee advanced a bill to legalize set gillnet cooperatives and mandate electronic monitoring on trawl vessels.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
Senate panel advances fishing cooperative bill with electronic monitoring
Alaska Senate panel unanimously advanced a bill legalizing fishing cooperatives for set gillnet permit holders, with a five-permit cap and electronic monitoring for trawl vessels.
by Alaska News6mo ago3 min read
State Opens Two-Day Geoduck Fishery in Kaigani Strait
Alaska opened a two-day commercial geoduck fishery in Kaigani Strait this week to harvest the final 7,000 pounds of the season's quota south of Ketchikan.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readWeek of Apr 13
Alaska Fishermen Report Salmon Declines Amid Bycatch, Management Concerns
Alaska fishermen and subsistence harvesters report salmon declines they blame on bottom trawler bycatch, though federal managers say bycatch stays within sustainable limits.
by Alaska News6mo ago2 min readWeek of Apr 6
Are You Kitten Me? Alaska’s Fish “Waste” Just Found Its Second Life
Alaska fish processors are turning salmon skins and other byproducts into pet food, converting waste that once cost money to dispose of into a new revenue stream.
by CamilleSutherland7mo ago2 min read
More from Commercial Fisheries
Alaska Native Groups Push for Fishing Permit Reform After $7.5B Exodus
Alaska Federation of Natives told legislators that non-resident permit holders took $7.5 billion in salmon earnings since 1975, leaving rural villages with fishing participation down to 12%.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago2 min readWeek of Mar 30
State seeks public comment on Yukon River salmon fishing rules by April 30
Alaska is taking public comments through April 30 on adding traditional knowledge to Yukon River fall chum salmon fishing rules, with a decision vote May 1.
by Alaska News7mo ago1 min readHouse Faces Russian Seafood Ban, Spending Limits, and Healthcare Access Bills
House advanced bills to keep Russian seafood out of U.S. markets, require a supermajority vote for large state savings withdrawals, and expand rural healthcare access through telehealth reimbursement and physician assistant authority. • Representative Stutes recognized Juneau advocate Katie Boats for a decade of work on sexual assault law reform.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago2 min readAlaska Senate Passes Russian Seafood Import Ban Extension Resolution
Alaska Senate unanimously backed extending the federal ban on Russian seafood imports to protect the state's 44,000 fishing workers from subsidized foreign competition.
by Alaska Newsadded 7mo ago2 min readComing 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.
