dutch harbor

The At-Sea Processors Association, representing Alaska's pollock industry, has announced that its long-time leader, Stephanie Madsen, will retire at the end of the year. Madsen has been with the association since 2007, following a career in fisheries that spanned nearly five decades. She was also the first woman to chair the North Pacific Fishery Management Council.

The regional airline announced Tuesday they were suspending air service to Unalaska/Dutch Harbor, Cold Bay and Sand Point in the Aleutians, effective Aug. 16.

It was wet and windy in Cordova on Saturday. Still though, around 50 people showed up at the dock for the dedication of the Alaska Wildlife Troopers’ newest boat, the P/V Arduser, named after retired Trooper Alex Arduser, who died one year ago while on a hunting trip in Prince William Sound.

A years-long Alaska seafood battle over a complicated shipping exemption has been settled. Two Bering Sea seafood shipping companies, Alaska Reefer Management LLC and Kloosterboer International Forwarding LLC, settled a lawsuit in January challenging penalties that had been levied by U.S. Customs and Border Protection. Alaska Reefer Management is a subsidiary of American Seafoods, one of Alaska’s biggest fishing companies. Together, the companies will pay the federal government $9.5 million after violating federal shipping laws.

The Unalaska City School District will send fifth graders down to the elementary building starting next school year. Administrators recently announced they will put the fifth grade class in the Eagle’s View Elementary Achigaalux̂ building for the first time since it was constructed.

Between Friday and Monday, Alaska’s biggest regional airline laid off 130 of its 400-plus employees. At this point, the nine communities served by Ravn Alaska can expect fewer flights, though none of its destinations will be eliminated, a company spokesperson said.

Nearly 100 tribes and communities in western Alaska, including the Association of Village Council Presidents, signed their support for an emergency petition that would set a zero bycatch limit on chinook salmon in the pollock trawl fishery for 180 days, a move Unalaska Mayor Vince Tutiakoff Sr. said would “effectively shut down the entire pollock fishery of the Bering Sea,” and create a “dire situation” for Unalaska.

The state-water cod fishery for pot gear boats of 58 feet or less in the Dutch Harbor Subdistrict opened Thursday, Feb. 1 at noon. Those harvesters have a limit of 60 pots per vessel and a guideline harvest level of a little more than 44 million pounds. That’s the largest harvest level the fishery has ever seen. Last year’s was the second biggest at just over 38 million pounds.

The cargo ship that caught fire on Christmas and has moored in Unalaska Bay is moving into port

U.S. Coast Guard Rescue teams from across the state responded to five calls for help over the weekend. Teams operated rescues for fishing vessels, a cruise ship and a stranding.