Saving Seafood

ALASKA: Contamination safeguards of transboundary mining questioned

December 4, 2025 — Reports of mine tailings dams leaching toxicants into salmon-rich transboundary waterways flowing into Southeast Alaska are raising concerns of fishermen, tribes, First Nations, and communities on both sides of the Alaska-British Columbia border.

According to Salmon Beyond Borders and the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association (ALFA) the administration of Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy has put the risk of transboundary mining contamination of shared rivers at greater risk a decade after the Alaska and government of British Columbia signed a Memorandum of Understanding about Canadian mining on these transboundary rivers flowing into Alaska.

“For eight years the Dunleavy administration has allowed ongoing and new pollution from B.C. transboundary mines to go unaddressed and for B.C. to skirt accountability for commitments outlined in state-provincial agreements,” said Breanna Walker, director of Salmon Beyond Borders, in a statement issued on Nov. 25.

“Alaska’s fisheries are increasingly at risk from British Columbia’s transboundary mines,” said Linda Behnken, executive director of ALFA. “We rely on both state and federal governments to negotiate meaningful protection for Alaska waterways and fisheries.  In the absence of meaningful action our fish, fisheries and fishing communities are vulnerable.”

State of Alaska officials say they are in fact very engaged with British Columbia through the Transboundary Bilateral Working Group. Sam Dapcevich, special assistant to the DEC commissioner, said in an email on Nov. 26 that “Alaska also continues to advocate for cleanup of the Tulsequah Chief mine.  DEC is fully engaged and working with our B.C. counterparts on activity awareness and status of projects,” he said.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

The Wild Fish Conservancy’s never-ending lawsuits

December 3, 2025 — The environmental group that sued the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) in 2020 in an effort to shut down the Southeast Alaska troll fishery for salmon took home a $1.6 million reimbursement for its costs, despite finally losing its case.

According to the Wild Fish Conservancy (WFC) website, its sole mission is “the protection and recovery of the Northwest’s wild fish.” Sounds like a great idea, and it would seem that the WFC’s mission and that of commercial fishermen ought to align.

But in 2020, the organization sued the NMFS and sought to close the Southeast Alaska fishery, claiming that it was necessary to protect chinook salmon and the Southern Resident killer whales (SRKW). The years-long case swung back and forth. In 2023, a U.S. District Court ruled in the WFC’s favor, threatening the 2024 season, but a stay imposed by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals allowed fishermen to work. On August 16, 2024, the court reversed the district court’s decision because it went too far.

But because the WFC won the earlier case, it sought compensation of $2.3 million for attorney fees and other related costs. The Judge gave them close to $1.7 million. “This appears to be their business model, how they make their money,” says Jeff Farvour, who trolls for salmon from his 40-foot boat, the Apollo. 

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Commercial fishing groups welcome new USDA seafood liaison position

November 18, 2025 — Commercial fishing groups are praising U.S. lawmakers for establishing a new seafood liaison position within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) – a long-held goal for the industry. 

“American seafood is a heart-healthy protein, and our fisheries are managed for sustainable harvest. Support from USDA will provide well-deserved support to U.S. fishermen to ensure Americans have ready and continued access to domestic and locally harvested seafood,” Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association Executive Director Linda Behnken said in a release.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

ALASKA: Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association to test AI monitoring with USD 485,000 grant

July 30, 2025 — Sitka, Alaska, U.S.A.-based fisher advocacy organization The Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association (ALFA) has won a USD 485,000 (EUR 422,719) National Fish and Wildlife Foundation grant to support AI-driven electronic monitoring (EM) efforts for Alaska fixed gear fishers. 

The project will involve utilizing the FishVue AI tool created by British Columbia, Canada-based Archipelago Marine Research, as well as a partnership with the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission (PSMFC), to monitor Alaska sablefish and halibut in fixed gear fisheries.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Keeping a labor force in the pipeline

June 16, 2025 — Across the U.S. coasts, various organizations offer training programs and apprenticeships designed to help young people secure jobs in the commercial fishing industry.

These have largely operated independently and out of touch with each other, but the launch of the National Future Fishermen’s Coalition (NFFC) aims to remedy that disconnect by bringing the disparate programs to one website.

“At NFFC, we’re all about collaboration,” says the organization’s coordinator, Maité Duquela. “That starts on the docks and stretches across the country.”

The NFFC has outlined its goals: Empowering young fishermen, strengthening industry networks, combating false narratives, celebrating the legacy of fishing, and championing domestic seafood.  Now it has to determine how to achieve them.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

My Turn: Charting a course toward seafood independence for Alaska’s vulnerable food systems

November 8, 2024 — As a commercial fisherman based in Sitka and the executive director of the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association (ALFA), I’ve spent decades navigating Alaska’s challenging waters and the headwinds facing our fishing communities. Alaska’s coastal residents are resilient, but they are up against a new magnitude of challenges. The loss of fishing access and community-based processing capacity, along with a dearth of local markets for seafood, are straining once vibrant fishing economies up and down our coastline.

I recently contributed to a fisheries access report commissioned by the Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust (ASFT), which highlights the outmigration of fishing access in Southeast Alaska. Communities with historically robust local fishing fleets now see few active vessels based in town. This trend is acute in communities such as Kake, which has lost its local processor — and with it, a viable market for resident fishermen. Through interviews and in-person engagement, ASFT’s report found that a common concern among fishermen was the loss of a local fish buyer. When this happens, resident fishermen often sell their permits or abandon fishing altogether. The double blow of losing a local buyer and having to relinquish fishing rights has driven many families away from long-standing communities and hometowns, resulting in the closure of schools and businesses, weakening the viability of fishing as a way of life.

Right now our fishing communities need federal support to pursue economic resilience and seafood independence. That’s why I’m grateful to Rep. Mary Peltola for introducing the Domestic Seafood Production Act (DSPA), alongside Reps. Troy Carter (D-LA) and Suzanne Bonamici (D-OR). By investing $90 million, DSPA will help stem the loss of fishery access, support the development of localized markets, secure coastal fishing livelihoods, and ultimately foster prosperous fishing communities.

Read the full article at Juneau Empire

ALASKA: Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association and Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust Host Spring Fishermen’s Expo

April 4, 2023 — The Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association (ALFA) and the Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust (ASFT) are hosting a Spring Virtual Fishermen’s EXPO on April 4 and 5, from 9AM-1PM to provide educational workshops to new and experienced local fishermen. ALFA and ASFT welcome those interested in the fishing sector to attend.

Read the full article at National Fisherman

ALASKA: Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association and Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust host Spring Virtual Fishermen’s EXPO

March 28, 2023 — The Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association (ALFA) and the Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust (ASFT) are hosting a Spring Virtual Fishermen’s EXPO on April 4 and 5, from 9AM-1PM to provide educational workshops and training to new and experienced local fishermen as well as others with interest in the fishing sector. During this EXPO all the workshops and presentations will be offered in a virtual format.

The Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association (ALFA) and the Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust (ASFT) are hosting a Spring Virtual Fishermen’s EXPO on April 4 and 5, from 9AM-1PM to provide educational workshops and training to new and experienced local fishermen as well as others with interest in the fishing sector. During this EXPO all the workshops and presentations will be offered in a virtual format.

Read the full article at KINY

Stakeholders worry after profanity prompts federal fisheries council to tighten comment policies

May 6, 2021 — For all the controversy and high-strung emotion that can accompany fisheries decision-making bodies, the federal council that manages fisheries in the North Pacific says it hadn’t ever received public comments with explicit language… until last month.

North Pacific Fishery Management Council members like Bill Twiet said at the council’s April meeting they worried that crude language and personal attacks could prevent people from speaking up.

“We lose collectively — the council loses, but also the council family loses — when people choose not to engage with us because they look at some of that testimony and they think ‘If that’s the cost of speaking up, I don’t want to,’” Tweit explained.

Council members say five of the nearly 600 comments submitted to the council last month contained vulgar language or personal attacks. The council’s executive director says his staff reached out to the commenters and asked them to resubmit, sans swearing. One did.

But those five comments were apparently enough to prompt changes to the council’s written comment policies. That includes a profanity filter, tighter deadlines for submitting comments and some discretionary power for Council staff to move — or remove — off-topic comments.

And that’s prompted outcry from longtime fisheries advocates. The head of the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association Linda Behnken says she’s never seen the council move like that: “I mean, never seen them bring something up, take action, boom, done without more opportunity for meaningful engagement.”

Read the full story at KSTK

Congress approves bill to train prospective fishermen

December 23, 2020 — A bill to establish the nation’s first ever federal program to train prospective commercial fishermen has passed Congress and awaits approval by the White House.

The Young Fishermen’s Development Act was passed unanimously by both the U.S. House and Senate, the Sitka Sentinel reported Monday. The law would provide grants to foster the growth of budding fishermen across the country.

The bill introduced by Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan in 2019 had bipartisan support, with co-sponsors that included Democratic U.S. Sen. Elizabeth Warren and Democratic U.S. Sen. Edward Markey, both of Massachusetts.

Read the full story at the Associated Press