Circle Seafoods touts salmon prices for 2026

Here's the announcement.

Personnel file

Eric Deakin is retiring from Coastal Villages Region Fund after six years as executive director and CEO.

Based in Anchorage, CVRF is the largest of Alaska's six community development quota organizations. These companies are major players in the state's commercial fisheries, harvesting fish and crab on behalf of often impoverished Bering Sea villages.

The CVRF board has appointed Nick Souza, previously director of sales and marketing, as the new CEO.

More details in this press release.

Heads-up on a possible Area M bombshell

Deckboss hears reliably that Alaska's acting attorney general, as soon as tomorrow, will block most or all of the controversial actions the Board of Fisheries took recently on Area M salmon fisheries.

The AG's expected action comes in the context of a lawsuit from commercial fishing groups, the Aleutians East Borough and others seeking to void regulations the board adopted at its February meeting on Alaska Peninsula finfish.

The suit focuses, in part, on board members with alleged conflicts of interest. The plaintiffs say two proposals the board approved on close votes would "dramatically reduce open fishing time and area for commercial purse seine and gillnet gear in the South Alaska Peninsula."

In February, the borough and tribal governments called on the AG to "act on a formal ethics complaint filed against members of the Alaska Board of Fisheries."

UFA seeks new skipper

The state's top commercial fishing organization, United Fishermen of Alaska, is recruiting a new executive director.

The position carries an estimated starting salary of $90,000 to $100,000 depending on experience, a job description says.

The successful candidate will replace the outgoing executive director, Tracy Welch, who just won legislative confirmation to the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission.

Trawl electronic monitoring bill clears Legislature

The Legislature has passed House Bill 117, which includes language authorizing Alaska's fish and game commissioner to require electronic monitoring for vessels operating in state trawl fisheries.

The bill now goes to Gov. Mike Dunleavy for his signature.

Sen. Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage, offered the language. He said in a recent Facebook post that electronic monitoring will "allow the state to better manage our fisheries through better bycatch data, monitoring compliance, and catch and discard information."

The bill includes provisions meant to limit impacts to trawlers. For example, the bill says vessel owners won't be required to "purchase or install electronic monitoring equipment beyond what is already required" for vessels in federally managed fisheries.

Juneau watch

Legislators on Thursday confirmed the governor's appointments and reappointments:

• Paul Cyr, Blair Hickson and Mike Wood to the Board of Fisheries

• Tracy Welch to the Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission

• Renee Alward to the Fishermen's Fund Advisory and Appeals Council.

The only drama involved Hickson with Sen. Jesse Bjorkman, R-Nikiski, objecting to his confirmation. On the ensuing roll call of legislators, Hickson was confirmed on a vote of 39 yeas 21 nays.

Here is Hickson's resume.

To see how all legislators voted, check this legislative journal report.

Silver Bay announces its Bristol Bay starting price

Deckboss found the following "Bristol Bay Fleet Update" floating around on Facebook, and a Silver Bay Seafoods spokesperson verified it.

Bristol Bay Fleet Update

Dear Bristol Bay Fishermen,

Silver Bay Seafoods is pleased to announce the 2026 pre-season price of $1.60/lb for qualifying (chilled, floated, bled) sockeye. This is $.30/lb more than last year's pre-season price and is considered a conservative starting price for the 2026 season.

Please hold the date for pre-season fishermen meetings. Silver Bay Seafoods Management, Board Members, and Fishermen Committee Members will be joining these meetings to talk about company business, market updates, and 2026 fleet operations and support.

Preseason meeting dates:

• Naknek: June 13

• Egegik: June 14

• Dillingham: June 19

Stay tuned for more preseason info. See you soon!

No ESA listing for Chinook

The National Marine Fisheries Service has found that listing Gulf of Alaska Chinook salmon under the Endangered Species Act is "not warranted at this time."

Here's a notice to be published in the Federal Register.

ESA watch

Tomorrow is the deadline for the National Marine Fisheries Service to submit its finding on whether Gulf of Alaska Chinook salmon should be listed under the Endangered Species Act.

The agency is considering the question in response to a listing petition from the Wild Fish Conservancy, a nonprofit headquartered in Washington state.

A finding that some or all Gulf of Alaska Chinook stocks are threatened or endangered would be momentous.

Deckboss will be watching closely to see what drops!

Whittier commissioning for destroyer Ted Stevens

Details in this Navy press release.

SE fisherman fined, banned in halibut conspiracy

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

Dismal salmon news out of Kodiak

Here's an Alaska Department of Fish and Game advisory announcement describing pitiful Chinook salmon escapements and implications for commercial fisheries.

Juneau watch

The House Special Committee on Fisheries tomorrow will consider the governor's appointees to the Alaska Board of Fisheries.

The appointees include newcomers Paul Cyr and Blair Hickson.

Mike Wood is up for reappointment to the board.

The committee hearing is set to begin at 10 a.m.

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.