Alaska State News

The Aleutians East Borough was among four plaintiffs who argued the Board of Fisheries violated state’s ethics laws.

The federal government is looking for an airline to serve the small Eastern Aleutian community of King Cove through its Essential Air Service program, which subsidizes airfare in mainly rural communities around the country where it would otherwise be unviable for airlines to provide service.

Aleutian Airways flew its first scheduled Saab 2000 flight to St. Paul on Monday, restoring regularly scheduled passenger service to Anchorage nearly nine months after Ravn Alaska ended its route to the Bering Sea community. Since then, residents have relied on expensive charter flights. Now, after months of delays and uncertainty, residents can finally book a regular commercial flight again.

The Aleutians East Borough is asking the state to investigate whether a member of the Alaska Board of Fisheries acted ethically during a vote on restrictions to the Area M salmon fishery. Borough Mayor Alvin Osterback and representatives from several tribes in the region say they filed a complaint with the Alaska Department of Law on Feb. 23. They say a member of the Alaska Board of Fisheries had a conflict of interest when he cast a tie-breaking vote last month in favor of restricting the Area M fishery.

The U.S. Coast Guard is investigating the death of a crabber who fell overboard near Dutch Harbor last week.

The Alaska Board of Fisheries voted 4-3 this week to cut June fishing time in the Area M salmon fishery by roughly a third — a move supporters say will help struggling Western Alaska salmon runs, but critics argue could harm coastal communities without meaningfully conserving chum.

The body of a Sand Point teenager has been recovered after almost three days of searching.

Authorities in Sand Point now believe a high school student who went missing Monday evening after a canoe ride is dead.

The MV Tustumena is scheduled to make five chain runs between June and September, roughly the same schedule since the start/onset of the COVID-19 pandemic, when sailings were cut in half.

Subsistence communities in Western Alaska ask for strict limits on the Bering Sea trawl fishery.