State management of the herring fishery has been the subject of ongoing litigation in the courts for two years now, with the Sitka Tribe arguing that subsistence harvests of herring roe are not being properly addressed.
Oceans
Hilcorp gas pipeline springs another leak in Cook Inlet
Hilcorp said the leak was first reported Thursday evening by a company helicopter pilot who spotted bubbles on the water’s surface.
Bering Sea ice ‘resilient’ against winter storms this year, though extent is below average
Blizzards and winter storms battered the Seward Peninsula and surrounding region throughout the month of March, but the sea ice has proved more resilient than in recent years.
Big sockeye runs and struggling kings leave Bristol Bay managers with a complicated balancing act
In the Nushagak District, managing harvest is tough because chinook and sockeye runs overlap, so when the sockeye harvests increase, so does incidental chinook bycatch.
Court rejects Hilcorp permit over possible harm to Cook Inlet belugas
A federal permit allowing Hilcorp to drill in Cook Inlet does not account for the harm vessel noise could pose to endangered belugas there, according to a decision yesterday from a District Court judge.
Sitka herring fishery opens for first time in 2 years
Even with a more relaxed fishery, there was one accident on the water over the weekend when a seine boat capsized during Saturday’s opener.