Spring Chinook Salmon. Photo courtesy Michael Humling, US Fish & Wildlife Service Salmon fishing in the federal waters of Cook Inlet will restart this summer with a shift in management to the federal government, as finalized in a recent ruling. The National Marine Fisheries Service (NOAA Fisheries), a branch of…
An indictment from a federal grand jury in Alaska has been issued, accusing the owner and captains of two crab catcher vessels of unlawfully transporting crab from Alaska, a violation of the Lacey Act. According to legal documents, Corey Potter is identified as the owner of two fishing vessels. Justin…
Stacey and Jacobsen, PLLC is pleased to announce that Senate Bill 93 sailed through the Alaska House with a resounding 39-1 majority, with only Representative David Eastman, R-Wasilla, in opposition. This legislation, championed by the Senate Labor and Commerce Committee and several other organizations, raises the caps on compensation from…
A federal agency has decided not to proceed with a controversial bottom-trawling experiment that was planned this year for the Northern Bering Sea. Tribal and environmental groups, prepared to take legal action to stop the project, are welcoming the decision. The Northern Bering Sea Effects of Trawling Study (NETS) aims…
On Tuesday February 14th, 2024, the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) announced that the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) will make a significant purchase of Alaska salmon and pollock in support of food and nutrition initiatives. The ASMI stated that the purchase of seafood aims to support people experiencing food…
The National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB) has completed an inquiry into the 2022 sinking of the F/V HOTSPUR near Prince of Wales Island. The report concludes that an unnoticed leak in an unoccupied area likely caused the vessel to lose stability, capsize, and sink near Nunez Rocks. Bilge alarms failed…
On Wednesday, January 31st, 2024, OBI Seafoods verified that the Larsen Bay facility on Kodiak Island will remain closed for the 2024 salmon season. John Hanrahan, the CEO of OBI Seafoods, stated that operations will cease at the Larsen Bay plant due to the “poor pink salmon forecast” from Alaska’s…
U.S. Coast Guard members, along with the crew of the good Samaritan vessel KYLIA, successfully rescued four individuals from a fishing boat that capsized about 2 miles northeast of Chiniak Island, Alaska. Watchstanders at U.S. Coast Guard Sector Anchorage were alerted at around 4:31 p.m. on Sunday, January 21st, 2024,…
Peter Pan Seafood has been processing Alaskan seafood including salmon, halibut, crab, and caviar since 1912. With processing plants in Dillingham, Port Moller, King Cove, and Valdez, they employ approximately 1,310 people during peak season. The fishing industry in Southwest Alaska is facing a significant blow as Peter Pan Seafood…
Four Coast Guard personnel sustained injuries following the crash of their MH-60 Jayhawk during a search and rescue mission in Alaska. The Air Station Sitka based helicopter crashed on Read Island, just south of Juneau. At approximately 8 p.m. on Monday, November 13th the F/V LYDIA MARIE began taking on…