King cove

For decades, King Cove’s roughly 800 residents have called for a road they say could save lives in emergencies. Neither city has a hospital, so residents rely on medical evacuations to reach Anchorage for urgent medical care. The Biden administration last week endorsed the proposal, recommending a land exchange with King Cove’s Native corporation so the road can be built. But that road would go through a federally protected wilderness area. While residents argue it’s a matter of life and death, environmental advocates say the road could threaten vital wildlife habitat — and set a dangerous precedent.

It’s unclear how the sale will affect King Cove, which relied on the processing facility as its main economic driver until it closed in January.

Rodger May, an entrepreneur and fish trader, narrowly beat out another industry player, Silver Bay Seafoods, with his $37.3 million bid. The sale must still be approved by a Seattle court.

When Peter Pan Seafood Co. announced in April they were ceasing all operations, the City of King Cove lost its only economic engine. Now, the town is struggling to survive, while Alaska’s seafood industry continues on an uncertain path.

Rumors of Joshua Gould’s detainment have circulated widely on social media in recent months, but charges were not formally filed until Wednesday.

Developments in the case of a King Cove couple who died earlier this year point to homicide, according to the death certificate of James Gould, released in early May. He and his wife, Kathryn, died in a house fire in their Anchorage home this winter. The fire is being investigated as arson.

Fishermen-owned Silver Bay already operates a facility in False Pass, just next to the Trident plant. Silver Bay President and CEO Cora Campbell said owning adjacent facilities would make operations more efficient, and allow them to provide more opportunities to the fleet.

A price collapse in 2023 bodes ill for the seafood industry, the report said. Because of inflation, consumer demand dropped, notably in the United States, where it fell below pre-pandemic levels. There was a large amount of 2022 harvested fish leftover as inventory, making wholesalers and retailers less inclined to buy fish in 2023, and the global supply of key species like pink salmon and pollock increased dramatically, notably from Russia but also in Alaska, the report said.

The city of King Cove is worried about the future after its seafood processor announced earlier this month that it will cease operations. The plant, formerly owned by Peter Pan Seafood Company, is the economic engine of the community on the Alaska Peninsula. A new owner will take over the processing plant, but it’s unclear when the facility will reopen. Kirsten Dobroth is the Alaska reporter for Undercurrent News, which is a commercial fishing and seafood industry trade magazine. She’s been reporting on what this means just ahead of salmon season.

Peter Pan Seafood Co., the state-backed processing company that has faced dire financial troubles recently, announced Friday it was ceasing operations.