November 21, 2025 — The Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) and NOAA Fisheries are forecasting a near average pink salmon harvest in Southeast Alaska next year, with similar numbers to the last two seasons.
The official forecast predicts a harvest of 19 million fish, which would be at the low end of what the department considers an average harvest, and slightly below what commercial fishers harvested in the 2025 season.
November 18, 2025 — Conservation groups delivered nearly 30,000 letters to Canadian lawmakers opposing mining developments in British Columbia, which U.S.-based Tribes say could harm Alaskan salmon fisheries.
“The provincial government is blatantly ignoring the rights of Indigenous peoples to protect their traditional territory from toxic mining pollution,” Earthjustice Supervising Senior Attorney Ramin Pejan said in a release. “Thousands of people have raised their voice in opposition, and the government should take notice.”
November 5, 2025 — Alaska’s 2025 commercial salmon harvest totaled 194.8 million fish, valued at approximately $541 million — a significant increase in both catch and value compared to the previous year, state fisheries officials announced Nov. 4.
Preliminary figures released by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) show that the 2025 harvest increased by 88% from the 2024 total of 103.5 million fish, which was valued at $304 million. The statewide ex-vessel average price per pound for all salmon species also rose compared to 2024.
Sockeye salmon accounted for about 58% of the total value ($315 million) and 27% of the total harvest (53 million fish). Pink salmon comprised 21% of the value ($114 million) and 61% of the harvest (119 million fish). Chum salmon contributed 14% of the value ($78 million) and 10% of the harvest (20 million fish). Coho salmon made up about 4% of the value ($21 million) and 1% of the harvest (2 million fish).
September 19, 2025 — The 2025 Southeast Alaska purse seine fishery closed in early September with just under 20 million pink salmon landed — well below the forecast of 29 million and marking the lowest odd-year harvest since the 1980s.
Low pink salmon returns were a challenge for Trident Seafoods, which cut back to one shift at its Wrangell plant in August, earlier than it had expected.
October 30, 2024 — The City of Homer recently sent a formal request to Alaska’s Governor, urging the state to declare a fishery disaster for the pink salmon season. The city council’s request highlights the far-reaching economic impacts of the poor 2023 harvest, which has left commercial fishermen and their families struggling to recover from the financial shortfall. With many relying on pink salmon as a significant portion of their livelihood, Homer joins other Alaskan communities in calling for state and federal disaster relief to offset losses.
According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), pink salmon, also known as “humpies,” are a critical part of the state’s commercial fishing industry. They are valued not only for their economic role but also for their ecological importance. These fish typically follow a two-year life cycle, returning to Alaskan rivers in odd-numbered years. However, variability in ocean conditions, freshwater survival, and rising temperatures have introduced uncertainty in population forecasts. In 2023, runs across the Gulf of Alaska underperformed, with fewer fish returning than predicted, leaving fishermen in financial jeopardy.
April 22, 2024 — In North America, there are five major species of wild Pacific salmon, including keta, pink, silver, king, and sockeye. We wanted to share some of the purse seiners, gillnetters, trollers, and set netters harvesting these wild species.
The peak season for salmon fishing occurs from May through September, and these are some of the Crew Shots commercial fishermen have shared with us over the years.
Share new moments on the water with us and submit your best crew photos here: https://www.nationalfisherman.com/submit-your-crew-shots
November 30, 2023 — Entering an off year, Alaska’s pink salmon fishery is forecasted to have an average-sized harvest in 2024.
Alaskan fishermen caught 152.4 million pink salmon in the 2023 season, valued at USD 113.7 million (EUR 103.5 million), far above the prediction of 122 million fish. According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), due to the species’ two-year life cycle, the coming season will see a lower harvest of around 19 million fish – about average, it said in its 2024 pink salmon forecast for Southeast Alaska.
October 26, 2022 — Access to traditional foods has long been a priority for Ketchikan’s federally recognized tribe. But for decades, Ketchikan residents have been barred from taking part in federal subsistence hunts and fisheries.
Now, Ketchikan Indian Community is pushing to change that. It hinges on one big question: is Ketchikan a rural community?
Trixie Bennett, the president of Ketchikan’s tribe, said the push to designate Ketchikan as a rural community is a major step toward the tribe’s goal of food sovereignty.
“Our food is our way of life,” Bennett said. “Our food is the medicine, our culture is the medicine.”
If Ketchikan were classified as rural, all residents — Native and non-Native — would be federally qualified subsistence hunters. That means they’d be able to hunt and fish on federal lands and harvest subsistence species, like ooligan from the Unuk River. And wildlife officials would be required to prioritize the needs of Ketchikan’s subsistence users over commercial and sport fishermen.
“We want this better access to our healthier foods around here and not just for us, but for everyone on the island,” Bennett said.
September 13, 2019 — The following was released by the Atlantic Canada Fish Farmers Association:
Statements made this week by the Atlantic Salmon Federation (ASF) about the transparency of reporting farmed salmon escapes and the potential risks involved with escapes cannot go unchallenged.
Salmon farmers do not want to lose a single fish. Their fish are their livelihood. When escapes do happen, they are largely a result of extreme weather events. Occasionally escapes are due to equipment malfunction or human error when fish are being handled (i.e. harvesting, fish health inspections). Salmon farmers are already transparent about escapes. When escapes happen, New Brunswick salmon farming companies voluntarily report it to the provincial regulator, who in turn notifies numerous groups, including the ASF, that are members of the NB Aquaculture Containment Liaison Committee. Other members include the Department of Fisheries and Oceans, the NB Department of Agriculture, Aquaculture and Fisheries, salmon producers, the NB Conservation Council and the NB Salmon Council. The NB Aquaculture Containment Liaison Committee communicates regularly. This week, the group discussed adding other groups on a case-by-case basis that may wish to be informed of an escape for a specific reason.
ASF spokesperson Neville Crabbe stated in the media this week that: “When you have spawning that’s occurring between aquaculture escapees and wild fish, you are wiping away potentially 10,000 years of evolution in a single spawning event.”
We reject that hyperbole. ASF knows full well that farmed salmon are very poorly suited to survival in the wild or reproductive success. Fearmongering about potential evolutionary disaster after a small escape does a disservice to the collaborative efforts between salmon farmers and the members of the NB Aquaculture Containment Liaison Committee. Mr. Crabbe’s comments also conveniently ignore any potential impacts of over 100 years of Atlantic salmon enhancement efforts, including ASF’s own sea ranching project in the 1970s and 80s that saw large releases of a variety of salmon strains into rivers and estuaries.
Salmon farming began – with ASF as a partner – as a way to address the decline of the commercial and recreational fishery for Atlantic salmon. Salmon farming is a responsible, sustainable and innovative means to provide adequate food supply to meet the world’s population growth while helping to reduce the pressure on wild fish stocks. Our farming practices and technology continue to evolve. Fish containment will always be a top priority as will our wild salmon conservation and enhancement efforts. Farmers work with a wide variety of partners, including First Nations, as part of the innovative Fundy Salmon Recovery project that is now seeing inner Bay of Fundy salmon return to one river in Fundy National Park in unprecedented numbers. (fundysalmonrecovery.com)
January 30, 2017 — Governor Bill Walker and Lt. Governor Byron Mallott welcomed news that the U.S. Department of Commerce Secretary Penny Pritzker accepted the state’s request for a disaster declaration on pink salmon harvests in the Gulf of Alaska last week. In accordance with Section 312 (a) of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Management and Conservation Act (MSA), the State of Alaska requested the federal government declare a fishery disaster for poor pink salmon runs across the Gulf region in 2016.
“The impacts of low pink salmon runs are being felt across the entire Gulf of Alaska,” said Governor Bill Walker. “In addition to commercial fishermen and fish processors, those who sell fuel, tackle, supplies, groceries, and lodging are also struggling from the poor season. Local governments will also feel the burden on their economic base. We are pleased with this news from the U.S. Department of Commerce, and we will work with the federal government going forward to address this issue. I thank all the legislators who tirelessly advocated for this declaration, especially Representative Louise Stutes for making the first request.”