Area M

Just as hundreds of fishermen begin pouring into the Aleutian Islands ahead of its most productive season, a conflict over restrictions on commercial salmon harvests has erupted.

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

The Coast Guard is working to repair numerous lost buoys near False Pass, in anticipation of increased summer vessel traffic in the area.

The Aleutians East Borough, the Native Village of Unga and two Aleutian fishing groups are asking a state court to void fishing regulations adopted at a February state Board of Fisheries meeting.

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 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 Alaska Board of Fisheries is expected to vote Wednesday on a slew of measures that locals fear could effectively shut down Sand Point’s fishing industry.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council is nearing a decision that could limit the amount of chum salmon that the Bering Sea trawl fleet is allowed to scoop up as bycatch. The move comes after years of calls for change from tribes that say they bear the brunt of conservation in the face of sustained salmon crashes.

Meanwhile, Fish and Game is putting more restrictions on the fishery.

Facing potential endangered species status for Gulf of Alaska king salmon, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game is rolling out fishing restrictions across western Alaska.