Rep. Begich wants North Pacific Council revamp

Congressman Nick Begich, R-Alaska, has introduced a bill to restructure the North Pacific Fishery Management Council.

The Anchorage-based council makes recommendations for managing ocean fisheries off Alaska. Its 11 voting members come from Alaska, Washington and Oregon, and most members are representatives of government agencies or commercial fishing interests.

Begich's bill, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council Representation Enhancement Act of 2026, would guide Alaska's appointments to the council.

The legislation would "require that voting members include at least one representative each from recreational, small-scale commercial, rural subsistence, and urban subsistence user groups," says this press release from Begich's office.

Congressman Begich draws a fisherman challenger

Independent Bill Hill, a Bristol Bay salmon driftnetter and former teacher, says he'll run against U.S. Rep. Nick Begich, R-Alaska.

Here's his announcement, and here's his bio.

Juneau watch

Rookie Congressman Nick Begich, R-Alaska, had a good bit to say about fisheries during his Thursday address to the Legislature.

Personnel file

• Silver J. Prout is communications director and fishery liaison for Congressman-elect Nick Begich. Her family owns and operates the F/V Silver Spray out of Kodiak. Here's an announcement with other Begich staff appointments.

• Shannon Mason is now public information officer at the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. Previously, she was a communications aide for Congresswoman Mary Peltola.

Pro-fish Peltola defeated

Alaska Democratic Congresswoman Mary Peltola, who made fish a focal point of her campaign, has lost her bid for a second term.

Republican challenger Nick Begich is the winner.

Is industry behind Peltola?

Rep. Mary Peltola, a Democrat, holds the lone Alaska congressional seat and is righting for reelection with a "pro-fish" campaign slogan.

But how does Alaska's commercial fishing industry feel about her?

To find out, Deckboss followed the money — that is, the campaign contributions to Peltola and her main challenger, Republican Nick Begich.

We searched recent filings with the Federal Election Commission, specifically the July 15 quarterly reports for each candidate.

We're sure we didn't catch everything, but we found several significant fisheries contributions from processors, fishermen and others in the Mary Peltola for Alaska committee report. We compiled this list of Peltola contributions.

The Alaskans for Nick Begich committee, by contrast, showed only a handful of minor contributions from fishermen.