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LISTEN: Alaska fishing charters struggling, as travel restrictions put damper on tourism

Salmon caught during the June 24, 2017 gillnet opening on the Kuskokwim. (Teresa Cotsirilos / KYUK Public Media)
Salmon caught during the June 24, 2017 gillnet opening on the Kuskokwim. (Teresa Cotsirilos / KYUK Public Media)

Alaska’s charter fishing businesses are suffering this summer, with prolonged travel restrictions severely impacting tourism to the state.

Andy Mezirow guides fishing charters out of Seward with his business Gray Light Sportfishing. He also sits on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, where he's proposed loosening bag limit restrictions to entice more Alaska residents to buy fishing charters.

As Mezirow told Alaska Public Media's Casey Grove, that's one idea that could complement other help for charter fishermen struggling to survive.

LISTEN:

Casey Grove is host of Alaska News Nightly, a general assignment reporter and an editor at Alaska Public Media. Reach him at cgrove@alaskapublic.org.