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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Week of Jun 22
Aleutian Islands golden king crab quota rises 13% for 2026/27
One crab goes up, the other crab goes down.
by Bill AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
NPFMC sets Alaska weathervane scallop harvest limits for 2026
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council set 2026 catch limits for Alaska's weathervane scallop fishery, a four-boat operation where each vessel's annual revenue hinges on the council's decision.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Kodiak seiners back Kreiss-Tomkins for governor
A Kodiak seiners' group endorsed Kreiss-Tomkins for governor on a fisheries platform — though "restore balance to the Board of Fish" means very different things to different fishermen.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
A storied Alaska king run falls short again — the Nushagak goes catch-and-release Sunday
The Nushagak, one of Alaska's great king runs, is tracking short again — so starting Sunday, sport anglers have to release every king through July 31.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
In Prince William Sound, the one-king summer is the new normal
Prince William Sound's one-king limit isn't a new emergency — it's the rule now, the same restriction as last year, as wild kings stay thin and only hatchery zones stay generous.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Cod fishing is excellent in Resurrection Bay — and walkable from Seward
Pacific cod fishing in Resurrection Bay is excellent right now — and the hot spots are a walk from downtown Seward. No boat, no problem. Halibut inside? Less so.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Seward gives its kids more time to catch a king
Kings are scarce across Alaska, but Seward's kids just got bonus weeks at a lagoon stocked just for them — fish raised to be caught, by anglers under 16 only.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Why Alaska is giving out-of-staters more kings as the runs falter
Alaska just doubled out-of-staters' king limit in Southeast even as kings struggle elsewhere — because these are treaty-quota ocean fish, and visitors foot much of the state's fishing-budget bill.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
More from Nature & Outdoors
Sullivan's Bycatch Bill Wades Into Alaska's Hardest Fish Fight
Sullivan's sweeping bycatch bill targets trawl salmon catch — a real and raw grievance, even as federal science pins Alaska's river collapses mostly on a warming ocean.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read
New EU rules could jam up Alaska fish headed to Europe this summer
July 10: the EU stops taking the old, easy catch certificate. Alaska fish bound for Europe needs the detailed new one — and NOAA says the deadline isn't budging.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Washington Man Cited for Keeping Snagged Sockeye on Russian River
A Washington angler got cited for keeping a snagged sockeye on the Russian — where "hooked in the mouth or it's poaching" isn't fussiness, it's how Alaska keeps the run honest.
by Bill AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
Strangers on the Water Free a Tangled Humpback
A young humpback got snared in crab-pot lines near Juneau — and a relay of passing boat crews kept watch until rescuers could cut it loose.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Kodiak's Easiest Sockeye River Shuts Down
Kodiak's road-system sockeye river is closing on a dismal 988-fish count — while Litnik, just across the island, is cruising past 15,000.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Cook Inlet Razor Clam Harvest Now Requires a Permit
Cook Inlet razor clam diggers must now get a permit before heading out this summer, and face a December 31 reporting deadline or lose eligibility next year, even if they never dug a clam.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
On the Kasilof, Alaska is opening the sockeye floodgates and holding the line on kings
On the Kasilof, Alaska is opening the sockeye floodgates and rationing the kings on the same water — a tidy snapshot of where the salmon stand. Grab a dipnet.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read
Kodiak Anglers Can Now Keep 10 Sockeye at South Olga Lakes
Kodiak anglers can keep 10 sockeye per day at South Olga Lakes starting Friday, June 26, through July 15, after the run exceeded its escapement goal.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago1 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
Kenai, Russian River Sockeye Bag Limit Jumps to 6 Fish Thursday
Red fish, blue fish, me fish, you fish
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Pebble Mine's challenge to EPA reaches an Anchorage court Thursday.
Pebble vs. EPA hits Anchorage federal court Thursday. The salmon, the State of Alaska, and a major mineral deposit all want a say.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min read
Copper River Kings Hit a Record Low — and Limits Drop
The Copper River's king run is the worst on record, so Alaska is cutting anglers from four fish to one — betting this summer's catch against next year's spawn.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Katmai bear cams return as Brooks River season begins
Katmai's bear cams go live Tuesday at 11 a.m. Alaska time, streaming brown bears fishing at Brooks Falls as salmon season begins.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Federal regulators renew HEX authorization for Cook Inlet marine-mammal harassment
Federal regulators renewed HEX Operating's permit to incidentally harass marine mammals during natural gas work in Cook Inlet through September 2027.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Federal rule renames Alaska subsistence bird-harvest region as Ahtna Territory
Federal wildlife officials renamed the Upper Copper River subsistence bird-harvest region as Ahtna Territory and aligned spring and summer harvest dates to match local Indigenous Knowledge.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Federal managers close Yukon, Innoko gillnets to protect Chinook and chum
Federal managers pulled every gillnet from part of the Yukon to spare the kings — leaving subsistence families to fill the freezer with slower gear, during the only weeks the fish run.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
NOAA says dead fin whale brought to Seward showed trauma consistent with vessel strike
A pregnant fin whale found dead on a cruise ship's bow in Seward showed injuries consistent with a vessel strike, NOAA said, though the responsible ship remains unclear.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago1 min read
Ugashik posts above-average sockeye harvest as Bristol Bay ramps up
Ugashik District has harvested 79,000 sockeye salmon as of June 22, running ahead of the typical pace for this date as Bristol Bay's season picks up.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Kodiak River closes to sockeye fishing
Alaska closes Buskin River sockeye sport fishing from June 24 through year-end after only 916 fish passed the weir by mid-June, versus a typical 3,200 at this date.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago1 min read
Week of Jun 15
Nalukataq season carries Alaska whaling traditions into summer
Nalukataq celebrations honoring bowhead whale hunts move across five northern Alaska communities from mid-June through early July, distributing whale meat and muktuk to mark the tradition.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
NOAA says dead pregnant fin whale arrived in Seward on cruise ship bow
NOAA confirmed the Seward whale was a 61-foot pregnant fin whale found on a cruise ship's bow. A necropsy is underway, and federal law enforcement is investigating.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Silver Bay applies for a dock right in front of competitor Snug Harbor
Silver Bay is putting a dock right in front of Snug Harbor's waterfront on the Kasilof. Competition is the substance.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
NOAA Fisheries declined to list Gulf of Alaska Chinook under the ESA
NOAA decided Gulf of Alaska Chinook don't qualify for ESA listing — even as Chinook closures pile up across Alaska systems.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min readFrom 
Kasilof River guide cited for fishing in prohibited People's Hole
A fishing guide was cited for fishing at People's Hole on the Kasilof River, where guides are prohibited but their clients are allowed.
by Maggie AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago1 min read
Wisconsin man cited for lifting king salmon on Anchor River
Alaska Wildlife Troopers cited a 19-year-old Wisconsin man for lifting a king salmon from the Anchor River and releasing it, violating an active Emergency Order requiring all kings to stay in the water.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago1 min read
Cook Inlet's salmon season opens June 22 — and could slam shut early
Cook Inlet's salmon season opens June 22. The last two years so many reds came back they went uncaught — and the rule behind that is still on the books.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min readFrom 
Russian River Sanctuary opens Thursday as sockeye goal met
Russian River Sanctuary opens for sport fishing Thursday after Alaska Fish and Game confirmed early-run sockeye escapement goal will be met, with 7,512 fish counted at the weir through June 16.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
On one of the world's great king rivers, a 'poor' rating is partly the plan
Fish go bye bye? Oh no0ooo
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Federal fishery disaster relief of $99M headed to Alaska after years of waiting
Alaska took four of every five dollars in the nation's fishery-disaster aid — and none of it has reached anyone yet, with 13 more disasters still in line.
by Walter AlaskaNews4mo ago3 min readFrom 
Peltola releases Alaska fisheries platform anchored in factory trawling ban
Democrat Mary Peltola released a Senate campaign fisheries platform calling for a ban on factory trawling and tribal seats on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council. • Peltola, a former U.S. representative and fishing boat captain, cited declining salmon returns as urgency for the reforms. • The platform also proposes freezing the Federal Subsistence Board's current composition and expanding electronic monitoring for bycatch.
by Walter AlaskaNewsadded 4mo ago2 min read
A coho cap could close Cook Inlet's sockeye season early, fishermen warn
Cook Inlet boats are after sockeye, but the coho they catch by accident could shut the whole season — at a limit the feds set below their own scientists' advice.
by Maggie AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min readFrom 
ADF&G issues Sand Point commercial salmon fishery advisory #05
Alaska's acting attorney general voided five South Peninsula salmon rules adopted in February over ethics violations before they took effect. • Sand Point seine fleet now fishes under older rules while the Board of Fisheries decides whether to readopt the restrictions. • The voided rules would have cut fishing time and area for seine and gillnet gear in the Shumagin Islands and South Unimak.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
Russian River Sanctuary opens early June 18 for sockeye season
Sunrise, sunset. Sunrise, sunset. Quickly - swim the fish.
by Bill AlaskaNews4mo ago2 min read
