Dave Bronson claims fishy business at Dutch Harbor

Here's a press release.

The new salmon season comes in sight!

The famed Copper River salmon fishery will open at 7 a.m. May 22 for a 12-hour period, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced today.

The commercial harvest forecast for this year is 728,000 sockeye, which is on par with the 10-year average of 733,000, the department said.

Sockeye and king salmon from the Copper River are a highly anticipated culinary treat each year, with the start of the fishery serving as the kickoff to a new Alaska salmon season.

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.

Juneau watch

Gov. Mike Dunleavy has signed House Bill 33 into law.

Kodiak Republican Rep. Louise Stutes, in her sponsor statement, said the bill would allow members of the Board of Fisheries to have a say on subjects for which they have a personal or financial interest.

"The passage of this bill will allow the conflicted board members to offer remarks and input on deliberations but still precludes them from voting on the conflicted issue," the statement said.

Commercial fishing organizations including United Fishermen of Alaska generally supported the legislation, while other interests such as the Kenai River Sportfishing Association opposed it.

ASMI hails federal funds for international marketing

Here's a press release from the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute.

An update on Board of Fisheries appointments

A few days ago, we reported the governor had picked three people for service on the Alaska Board of Fisheries.

Now, the governor has officially submitted his appointees for legislative confirmation.

But there's been a change.

Paul Cyr, of Ketchikan, is now an appointee instead of Josh Hayes, of Anchorage.

The other two are Blair Hickson, of Wasilla, and Mike Wood, of Talkeetna, who already holds a seat on the board and is being reappointed to a second term.

Board of Fisheries to hold special meeting Friday

The Alaska Board of Fisheries will convene a special meeting online at 1 p.m. Friday to consider four board-generated proposals.

Proposal 192 is drawing the most interest. It would make a change in eastside Cook Inlet legal commercial fishing gear, replacing set gillnet gear with set beach seine nets.

Beach seining could be a way to allow fishermen to harvest sockeye salmon while safely releasing scarce king salmon, says this Alaska Department of Fish and Game commentary on Proposal 192.

But the proposal is expected to draw opposition.