Seafood truck involved in traffic fatality

The Alaska State Troopers report a Pacific Star Seafoods truck was involved in a fatal traffic accident Friday on the Seward Highway.

Getting closer on CARES Act payments

The state has received federal approval for its CARES Act fisheries assistance spending plan. Important details here.

Ocean Beauty is still around, has a new website

Details in this press release.

Akutan restarts

Trident Seafoods says it has resumed operations at its Akutan processing plant after a monthlong COVID-19 outbreak forced a pause.

Bering Sea medevac

A crewman who suffered "a crush injury to the arm" was hoisted off the fishing vessel Alaska Ocean over the weekend, the U.S. Coast Guard reports.

Metlakatla case dismissed

A federal judge has dismissed a lawsuit the Metlakatla Indian Community filed against the state seeking off-reservation fishing rights in Southeast Alaska.

Unalaska at risk

The city of Unalaska is reporting dozens of new, industry-related cases of COVID-19, and is warning the situation is quite serious.

"The community is most definitely at a high local risk factor for COVID-19, in fact, more serious than at any time since the start of the pandemic," the city said in a news release today.

Unalaska, of course, serves as the hub of the Bering Sea fishing industry.

Good work if you can get it

The governor has appointed Melvin Smith to the Alaska Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission.

And who is Melvin Smith?

This public radio report has the scoop.

'A total loss'

A Trident Seafoods processing vessel, the 233-foot Aleutian Falcon, reportedly has been destroyed by fire at the Port of Tacoma.

Cantwell takes the gavel

U.S. Sen. Maria Cantwell, D-Washington, is the new chair of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science and Transportation.

The committee's vast range of oversight includes oceans, fisheries, weather, and the Coast Guard.

Fish politics

Two legislators with serious fish connections now sit at the top of the legislative leadership in Juneau.

Sen. Peter Micciche, R-Soldotna, was elected in January as Senate president. He's a Cook Inlet commercial drift gillnet fisherman.

And today comes news that Rep. Louise Stutes, R-Kodiak, was elected speaker of the Alaska House. She served for a number of years as chair of the House Special Committee on Fisheries.

North Pacific Council approves IFQ transfers

Here's the motion as passed.

OBI Seafoods reports one COVID case at Petersburg

Details in this press release.

Troll quota stays steady

State fishery managers today announced a troll treaty harvest allocation for 2021 of 148,500 Chinook salmon, the same limit as last year.

Metlakatla works to boost hatchery production

Read about it here.

Help urged for seafood processors

"Federal support to help seafood processors weather the pandemic is urgently needed — without it, our nation's entire seafood industry may falter," says this congressional letter to the Biden administration.