SEAS likes Begich, Parnell

The Southeast Alaska Seiners Association is supporting the re-election bids of U.S. Sen. Mark Begich, D-Alaska, and Gov. Sean Parnell, a Republican.

SEAS Begich endorsement
SEAS Parnell endorsement

Icy Mist crewman needs medevac

A U.S. Coast Guard helicopter yesterday hoisted an injured crewman off the fishing vessel Icy Mist about 150 miles southeast of Sand Point.

The crewman was hurt "after a crab pot fell on him during loading operations," the Coast Guard said.

Cargo ship adrift off British Columbia

Canadian and U.S. authorities are monitoring a Russian cargo ship adrift off northern British Columbia.

Here's a news report on the situation.

"We're watching it closely and hoping it won't impact Alaska waters," Julie Speegle, of the National Marine Fisheries Service in Juneau, tells Deckboss.

Togiak could yield another big herring haul

A huge volume of herring is expected again next spring at Togiak, with the forecast calling for a potential harvest of 29,012 tons in the sac roe fishery.

The industry took 25,136 tons last season. The grounds price was $50 per ton.

American Seafoods to pay $1.75M in scale scandal

Here's the press release.

Snow crab quota jumps 26 percent

The Bering Sea snow crab quota is 67.95 million pounds, a nearly 26 percent increase from last season.

Here's the official announcement from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

The snow crab season opens at noon Oct. 15, but typically the industry waits until the new year to harvest the bulk of the crab.

Mixed fortunes on the Yukon

Zero Chinook salmon were reported sold on the Yukon River this summer, and the commercial harvest of nearly 531,000 chums was 79 percent above the recent five-year average.

That's the gist of this season summary from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.

Bristol Bay red king crab quota up sharply

The catch quota for the upcoming Bristol Bay red king crab fishery is just under 10 million pounds, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced today.

That's a 16 percent increase from last season's 8.6 million pounds.

Here's the official announcement. The fishery opens at noon Oct. 15.

Bristol Bay red king crab is one of Alaska's most valuable crab fisheries.

The department also posted a small quota for St. Matthew Island blue king crab.

We're still waiting for an announcement on Bering Sea snow crab, another lucrative crustacean crop.