Bering Sea pollock stock surges

Preliminary results indicate a nearly 60 percent increase in pollock survey biomass in the Bering Sea, the National Marine Fisheries Service says. More details here.

Will your boat need an observer next year?

The National Marine Fisheries Service has released this draft plan for how the agency intends to assign fishery observers to vessels taking part in Alaska's groundfish and halibut fisheries during 2015.

Deckboss can't be sure, but he believes NMFS is proposing some significant adjustments. Check out the executive summary near the top of the plan.

Fishing vessel explodes at Valdez

The commercial fishing vessel Fireman exploded this evening in the Valdez harbor adjacent to the Best Western hotel, the U.S. Coast Guard reports.

A person aboard walked off after the blast and went by ambulance to a hospital, the Coast Guard says.

Emergency responders "found the Fireman afloat with the majority of its wheelhouse torn apart by the explosion."

It happened around 7:55 p.m. and the cause is under investigation, the Coast Guard says.

State records show the 35-foot Fireman belongs to Thomas S. Lopez. His address is listed as a postal box in Valdez.

$1,884

This year's Alaska Permanent Fund dividend is $1,884.

Most dividends will be paid by direct deposit on Oct. 2. Only qualified residents of the state will receive a payment.

Last year's dividend was $900.

Save the Chinook!

Two Alaska Native organizations have filed an emergency petition to tighten the limit on Chinook bycatch in the Bering Sea pollock fishery.

Could this be something big?

Government scientists say they are "watching a persistent expanse of exceptionally warm water spanning the Gulf of Alaska that could send reverberations through the marine food web."

Read more here.

Bristol Bay's $197 million year

This year's Bristol Bay salmon harvest produced a near-record payoff to fishermen.

That's according to this season summary from the Alaska Department of Fish and Game.