Federal law prohibits sales of African elephant ivory, but a handful of states have now banned the sale of ivory more broadly. That has repercussions for Alaska Native walrus ivory carvers.
Subsistence
‘Pretty unbelievable,’ says Kotlik hunter who helped document recent spike in seal deaths
Harold Okitkun counted 18 dead seals north of Kotlik — a number he says he’s never seen or heard of other people in the village seeing.
‘Potentially lethal’ toxins found in Juneau shellfish
A group that monitors shellfish toxin levels is warning Juneau residents not to consume shellfish from locations in the Auke Bay area.
US House calls for more research on ocean acidification
Ocean acidification makes oceans more corrosive to crabs, clams and creatures at the bottom of the food chain, with impacts that reach all the way up.
Wrangell’s king salmon derby is canceled again, leaving locals longing
While most agree that protecting the salmon run up the nearby Stikine River is critical, the absence of Wrangell’s derby for the second straight year has left a king-salmon-sized hole in some hearts.
To get a count on bowhead whales, North Slope scientists head out onto the sea ice
“They’re just so graceful and beautiful. Every time I see a whale I get excited,” says biologist Craig George. “I’ve seen thousands and thousands. It’s always like seeing a bowhead for the first time.”