Alaska Department of Fish and Game closed Yukon River drainage chum salmon fisheries after the 2026 preseason forecast of 345,600 fish fell below the 500,000 minimum escapement goal, triggering automatic closures under state regulation.
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.
Alaska Department of Fish and Game has banned marine anglers from filleting or de-heading certain fish at sea before returning to Craig and Klawock ports to enable creel sampling for fisheries management data.
by Alaska News3d ago2 min readPrince of Wales Island
Alaska Department of Fish and Game now requires a free individual permit for all anglers targeting king salmon in the Upper Copper River drainage, with mandatory harvest reporting by August 31, 2026.
Alaska Department of Fish and Game is accepting public comments through June 14 on updates to the catalog of waters important to anadromous fish, which determines where development can occur near fish-bearing waters statewide.
NMFS ruled that Gulf of Alaska Chinook salmon do not warrant ESA listing, preserving Alaska's state control over fisheries management after a court-ordered review deadline.
Anchor River Chinook salmon runs now peak approximately 12 days later than historical patterns, shifting from mid-June to late June and early July according to ADFG data analyzed by local residents.
Alaska's halibut fishery has landed only 3.5 million pounds against a 19 million pound quota by early May 2026, an unusually slow pace despite strong $6 to $7 per pound dock prices across major ports.
The Senate Resources Committee advanced Paul Cyr's nomination to the Alaska Board of Fisheries, which would give Southeast Alaska its first seat on the influential regulatory board in years.
New Alaska regulations effective May 7, 2026, require Yakutat sport fishers to keep rockfish, lingcod, and king salmon identifiable and measurable until offloading, preventing immediate filleting on boats.
The House Resources Committee heard testimony on HB 296, which would create a merit-based leasing program for state agricultural land at below-market rates and allow DNR to enforce agricultural covenants through civil penalties rather than land repossession.
by Alaska News1w ago3 min readCapitol Room 124, Juneau, Alaska
Alaska Department of Fish and Game will apply Rotenone fish pesticide to Sucker Lake in August 2026 to kill invasive northern pike, expanding a suppression program that has been limited to side sloughs since 2011.
Alaska Department of Fish and Game will meet with Ketchikan charter boat operators on May 21 to discuss new sport fishing regulations for the 2026 season.
by Alaska News3d ago1 min read2030 Sea Level Dr., Suite 209, Ketchikan, Alaska
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.
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.
The Senate Community and Regional Affairs Committee advanced a compromise bill Thursday that limits paid sick leave for seasonal fish processors to 12 hours per month, capped at 48 hours annually, modifying voter-approved sick leave requirements.
A legislative lunch-and-learn session highlighted the rapid growth of wild ice skating in Alaska, from isolated individual experiences to an organized community activity attracting international media attention and supporting local manufacturing.
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 News2w ago3 min readAlaska Peninsula / Aleutian Island / Chignik
The Alaska Commercial Fishermen's Fund Advisory and Appeals Council will meet in May to review benefit claims and fund policies, with a public session on May 21.
Alaska Department of Fish and Game opened a two-day commercial geoduck fishery in Kaigani Strait for April 22-23 to harvest the remaining 7,000 pounds of quota in Subdistrict 103-30-001.
by Alaska News3w ago2 min readKaigani Strait Subdistrict 103-30-001
The House Special Committee on Fisheries heard House Bill 356, which would create a 'microfisheries' pathway allowing small-scale commercial fishermen to process up to 5,000 pounds of fish onboard and sell directly to consumers with streamlined permitting.
Alaska Department of Fish and Game issued rules for removing herring pound structures in Prince William Sound after spawn-on-kelp harvest to prevent disease and ensure orderly fishery closure.
by Alaska News2w ago2 min readPrince William Sound
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.
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 News2w ago4 min readAlaska Peninsula / Aleutian Island / Chignik
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.
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.
Alaska Department of Fish and Game closed the Malina Bay herring fishery in the North Afognak District on April 29, 2026, for the remainder of the sac roe season.
by Alaska News2w ago3 min readMalina Bay Section (WA20) of the North Afognak District
Alaska Department of Fish and Game opens a two-week king salmon fishery at Gunnuk Creek near Petersburg and Wrangell from June 1-14, allowing residents two fish and nonresidents one fish while most surrounding waters remain closed.
by Alaska News2w ago3 min readGunnuk Creek Special Harvest Area near Petersburg and Wrangell
Alaska Peninsula fishery discussions mirror national struggles to balance commercial harvest with conservation in mixed-stock corridors where multiple salmon populations overlap.
by Alaska News2w ago6 min readAlaska Peninsula / Aleutian Island / Chignik
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 News2w ago4 min readAlaska Peninsula / Aleutian Island / Chignik
The Alaska House of Representatives voted 25-15 to ban polystyrene foam food service containers statewide, with supporters citing health risks and environmental damage while opponents warned of costs to small businesses.
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 News1d ago2 min readFairbanks
