Nature & Outdoors
RSSNature and Outdoors in Alaska is the state's wildlife, public lands and waters, and the activities Alaskans pursue in them. It tracks hunting and fishing seasons, wildlife management decisions, and access to trails, parks, refuges and fisheries statewide.
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Wednesday, Nov 4
Gambier Bay king crab fishery planned for 28 hours is now scheduled for 124
Gambier Bay's king crab fishery was supposed to last 28 hours. After a reopening and an extension, it's now scheduled for 124, with no word on the catch.
by Bill AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
Southeast Alaska pink salmon harvest forecast at 67 million fish, most since 2013
Biologists forecast a 2027 Southeast Alaska pink salmon harvest of 67 million, the most since 2013. They also sped up the net behind the forecast.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago3 min readFrom 
NOAA seeks comment on renewing logbook paperwork for Cook Inlet's federal salmon fishery
Cook Inlet drifters fishing federal waters log their sets, catch and GPS spots for NOAA. The agency wants to renew that paperwork and is asking for comment.
by Bill AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
Fish board to weigh resident-first kings, Homer Spit nets and helicopter anglers
Alaska Board of Fisheries meets Dec. 1-4 in Seward on 50 Lower Cook Inlet proposals: resident king salmon priority, Homer Spit closures, helicopter limits and hatchery plans.
by Bill AlaskaNews1w ago3 min read
Tuesday, Nov 3
No Kuskokwim River commercial fishery this year: a full look at the 2026 salmon season
The state offered no commercial salmon fishing on the Kuskokwim River this year, a first since at least 1998, while subsistence harvests came up short.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago4 min read
FDA drafts guidance on voluntary "U.S.-Caught" and "U.S. Farm-Raised" seafood labels
The FDA says "U.S.-Caught" and "U.S. Farm-Raised" seafood labels would pass muster under draft guidance. It's taking comments through Dec. 28.
by Bill AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
Alaska won't hold a Nelchina caribou hunt next year, weeks after proposing one
Alaska's new hunt booklet says there will be no state Nelchina caribou hunt next year, weeks after the state proposed reopening one on the growing herd.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
Homer advisory committee to weigh proposals pushing commercial fishing back from the Spit
Homer's fish and game committee meets Tuesday on proposals to push commercial nets back from the Spit over boater safety. The Board of Fisheries decides in Seward Dec. 1-4.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
More from Nature & Outdoors
Geoduck divers near Ketchikan get two more days, with a 400-pound limit each
Divers get two more days to dig geoducks near Ketchikan, but only 400 pounds each of a clam that can live past 100. Up to four can share a boat.
by Bill AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
Aleutians East posts form to help fishermen tally fuel costs for USDA relief
Aleutians East posted a form so fishermen can tally fuel costs for USDA's $8B relief. The catch: anything sent now must be resubmitted when applications open.
by Bill AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
Monday, Nov 2
USDA seeks small-business bids for Alaska pollock and catfish for food aid
USDA wants to buy about 1.7 million pounds of Alaska pollock, plus some catfish, for federal food assistance programs. Bids are due Nov. 12.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1w ago1 min read
Brice seeks Corps permit for an 8-acre gravel pit along the Inmachuk River near Deering
A Fairbanks company wants to dig a gravel pit along the Inmachuk River for Deering's airport work and other projects. The Army Corps is taking comment.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
State skips Kuskokwim subsistence salmon survey after grant request goes unfunded
Fish and Game skipped its door-to-door count of Kuskokwim subsistence salmon harvests this year after its federal grant request went unfunded.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min readFrom 
State asks Board of Game to restore wolf removal for Mulchatna caribou after court ruling
Fish and Game wants wolves back in the Mulchatna predator control program after a court struck them out. The Board of Game decides Dec. 2 whether to take it up.
by Bill AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
Alaska fishing jobs grew in 2025 after five straight years of losses
Alaska's fishing jobs grew in 2025 after five straight years of losses, up about 216. That's a sliver of the 2,300 lost since 2019, but salmon helped.
by Bill AlaskaNews1w ago1 min read
State moves to add land to pipeline lease for rock piles to guard against the Sag River
The state proposed adding 26 acres along the Sagavanirktok River to the pipeline's lease so Alyeska can place rock piles up to a half-mile long by the line.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
About Nature & Outdoors
Nature and Outdoors in Alaska takes in the state's wildlife, public lands and waters, and the hunting, fishing and recreation Alaskans pursue in them. It spans sport, subsistence and commercial fishing, hunts for moose, caribou, elk and sheep, and access to parks, refuges and trails.
Decisions come from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, the Board of Fisheries, the Board of Game, federal fishery managers and the National Park Service. Seasons open and close as harvest limits fill, and stocks of concern, salmon limits in contested fisheries and halibut shares between charter and commercial fleets are recurring questions. Fishing fleets and seafood plants also depend on federal relief and loan programs and on export paperwork that NOAA explains to sellers.
More from Nature & Outdoors
State proposes new wastewater mixing zones for Pacific Seafood's Kodiak plants
State regulators propose new wastewater dilution zones for Pacific Seafood's two Kodiak plants in Near Island Channel. Public comment runs through Dec. 2.
by Alaska News1w ago2 min read
Tribal and federal crews tag about 1,300 fur seal pups on St. Paul and St. George
Tribal and federal crews on St. Paul and St. George tagged about 1,300 fur seal pups in September to track survival, and freed one pup from a rubber gasket.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
Troopers arrest Palmer man on DUI charge after pickup hits moose in Wasilla
Troopers arrested a Palmer man for DUI after his pickup hit a moose on the Palmer-Wasilla Highway bridge Monday.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago1 min read
Halibut survey's bait price jumps 70% as scientists try again to reach Adak
No boat bid to survey halibut near Adak this year. Commission staff want to try again in 2027, even with bait up 70% and the survey losing money.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
State drafts renewal of Westward Seafoods' wastewater permit for Captains Bay plant
DEC drafted a permit that would let Westward Seafoods keep discharging screened wastewater into Captains Bay. The company reviews it first, then the public.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
Sunday, Nov 1
State estimates more legal-size king crab in Southeast, but the catch limit barely moved
The state says Southeast has 25% more keeper-size red king crab this year. The catch limit barely budged and still just clears the bar for a season.
by Bill AlaskaNews1w ago1 min readFrom 
NOAA clarifies more of Europe's new seafood export paperwork
NOAA updated its guidance on Europe's seafood export paperwork Friday, from shellfish to shipments to Norway. The EU is Alaska seafood's top direct buyer.
by Bill AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
Saturday, Oct 31
Kodiak sea cucumber divers get a 13-day opening after forecasts show no gale warnings
No gale warnings in the forecast, so Kodiak's sea cucumber divers get 13 days. Fifty divers fished it in 1993; eight permits did in the 2023/24 season.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago1 min read
Pogo gold mine seeks to fill 9 more acres of wetlands for rock and equipment storage
Pogo gold mine's owner wants to fill 9 more acres of wetlands near the Goodpaster River to make room for waste rock and equipment. Comments are due Dec. 1.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1w ago3 min read
Southeast charter fleet tops its halibut share for a sixth straight year
Southeast's charter halibut fleet has topped its catch share six years running as size limits tightened. Fishery managers take up 2027 limits in December.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
White House seafood plan promises 'U.S. Caught' label and a review of boat rules
The White House's seafood plan promises a "U.S. Caught" label and proposed rules on replacing old boats. It names no U.S. state, not even Alaska.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago3 min read
Friday, Oct 30
Anchorage water utility pulls a well after PFAS tests exceed a proposed standard
AWWU pulled an Anchorage Bowl well after tests found "forever chemicals" above a proposed standard. Most city water comes from Eklutna, where tests found none.
by Walter AlaskaNews1w ago1 min read
Interior seeks nominees for five Exxon Valdez spill advisory seats
Interior wants nominees to fill 5 of 10 empty seats on the Exxon Valdez oil spill advisory committee, covering subsistence, recreation and other public roles.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
Bristol Bay red king crab move farther west in warmer years, satellite study finds
NOAA satellite tags show Bristol Bay red king crab shift farther west in warmer years. That could reshape how fixed trawl closure zones protecting the crab are managed.
by Bill AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
Fish board plans a second vote on Cook Inlet drift limits that never took effect
The fish board voted in March to rein in Cook Inlet's drift fleet. The rules never took effect, and now it'll vote on them again, likely in January.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago3 min read
Interior adds flight hours to Tok company's work for Tetlin refuge
Interior added flight hours to a Tok company's on-call plane work for Tetlin refuge, the one drivers skirt for 65 miles right after crossing into Alaska.
by Maggie AlaskaNews1w ago2 min read
Thursday, Oct 29
Federal managers close subsistence elk hunt on Afognak refuge lands for the season
Federal managers closed Afognak refuge elk hunting for the rest of 2026 after harvest hit 15% of the Waterfall Lake herd.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago2 min read
Kodiak bear safety group tells trick-or-treaters to finish by 8 pm and carry air horns
Kodiak's bear safety group says finish by 8 pm, bring a flashlight and an air horn, and skip the brush. Some town bears are already out looking for treats.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2w ago2 min read
Fish board agrees to reconsider Area M salmon limits the state voided in May
The fish board voted 4-3 to reconsider Area M salmon limits the state voided in May. The member whose ethics violation led to that voted yes each time.
by Alaska News2w ago3 min read
Alaska Board of Fisheries picks Bethel and Dillingham for 2028 regional finfish meetings
The Board of Fisheries will take its 2028 AYK and Bristol Bay meetings to Bethel and Dillingham, after some debate over hotel rooms and winter dining.
by Alaska News2w ago2 min read
Conservation group plans to sue over Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak salmon fisheries
A Washington conservation group plans to sue, saying Alaska Peninsula and Kodiak salmon fisheries catch protected Northwest kings. The state will defend them.
by Bill AlaskaNews2w ago2 min read
State biologists recommend a 26% cut to Norton Sound red king crab limit for 2027
Norton Sound crabbers caught over their limit this summer, and the crab were record-big. State biologists want next year's ceiling cut by about a quarter.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago2 min read
Fishery council will study letting Southeast charters keep leasing halibut
Southeast charter clients can't keep a halibut over 34 inches, barring a rare giant, unless captains lease commercial quota. Managers will study that.
by Maggie AlaskaNews2w ago2 min read
EU extends duty-free quotas for pollock, cod and other fish through 2027
Europe will keep letting 340,000 metric tons a year of pollock in duty-free through 2027. That matters here: EU buyers take most U.S. pollock fillet exports.
by Walter AlaskaNews2w ago2 min read
