The wait is nearly over

We'll soon have the government's answer on whether Gulf of Alaska Chinook salmon should be listed under the Endangered Species Act.

The National Marine Fisheries Service is pledging to render its decision on or before May 13.

A nonprofit organization, the Wild Fish Conservancy, petitioned NMFS for the listing and later sued the agency for failing to meet the deadline for making its decision. The lawsuit has now been settled with the setting of the May 13 date.

Chinook runs across Alaska are weak, forcing fishery conservation measures.

But the Alaska Department of Fish and Game doesn't support listing the fish, writing in September 2024: "The best available scientific and commercial information makes it clear that GOA Chinook salmon do not meet the definition of a threatened or endangered species."

Three charged with intentionally sinking boats

Here's a press release from the U.S. Attorney's Office.

Juneau watch

Senate Bill 161, which "puts an end to bottom trawling in state waters beginning in 2028," according to its sponsor, is up for consideration tomorrow in the Senate Resources Committee.

Report: 'Deadliest' crewman falls overboard, dies

Here's the story from the Associated Press.

Juneau watch

A bill up for a hearing tomorrow in the House Special Committee on Fisheries aims to make Metlakatla tribal interests eligible for state hatchery financing.

One commercial fishing group is very opposed.

The sponsor of House Bill 253 is Ketchikan Republican Rep. Jeremy Bynum, whose district includes Metlakatla.

Significant news from Silver Bay

Silver Bay Seafoods, one of Alaska's largest salmon processors, today provided the following statement from Branson Spiers, chief operating officer:

Silver Bay Seafoods will be buying salmon in all Prince William Sound drift and seine fisheries in 2026, and we will continue to provide fleet services in Cordova. Given the low salmon forecasts in PWS, we've developed an operational plan that prioritizes fishermen opportunity and economics, with processing planned in Valdez and Seward.

We've asked the company for clarification, but presumably this means Silver Bay will not process salmon this season at its plant in Cordova, the main port for the gillnet fleet targeting famed Copper River salmon.

Another Area M battle

The Alaska Board of Fisheries this week approved changes, including a reduction in commercial fishing time, for the June salmon fishery along the South Alaska Peninsula.

The fishery, also known as the Area M or False Pass fishery, has long been controversial as an "intercept" fishery in which seiners and gillnetters targeting sockeye sometimes catch chum salmon bound for Western Alaska.

Western Alaska is experiencing a salmon crisis, with chum and Chinook runs crashing. That's put enormous public pressure on the Board of Fisheries and the North Pacific Fishery Management Council to take action to reduce salmon bycatch in fisheries such as Area M and the Bering Sea pollock trawl fishery.

State Sen. Mike Cronk, R-Tok, was among those urging the Board of Fisheries to take action to conserve salmon headed for Western Alaska rivers.

Two commercial fishing groups — Concerned Area M Fishermen and the Area M Seiners Association — opposed language the board ended up passing on a 4-3 vote.