Fisheries

Southeast fishermen harvested more than 80% of the king salmon statewide this year. 

When asked what they would do to address declining salmon stocks, all candidates pointed to bycatch as a continued threat to salmon and crab across the state.

The shortfall was due to a combination of a much lower harvest and a smaller price per pound.

The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced earlier this month that the Bering Sea snow crab fishery will not open, for the first time in its history. 

Debate over the resolutions was contentious and revealed a regional rift among tribes.

“We’ve started going through our friends,” one tugboat captain said. “Like, ‘Hey man, do you want a freaking job?’”