Angela Denning, CoastAlaska
Kuskokwim Subsistence Salmon Fishery Starts With No Restrictions On Main River
The first King salmon are being caught on the Kuskokwim River and state managers don’t foresee any restrictions for at least a few weeks. Fishermen on the Kuskokwim River can use 8 inch King nets right now, something that was highly restricted last year due to a very poor run. The State’s preseason data calls for another low return this year but so far, managers say there’s no reason to restrict fishing.
Download Audio
Brown Bear Cub Found Near Platinum
A young brown bear cub was recently found near Platinum and turned into the Fish and Game office in Bethel. The bear was a tiny male, 9 pounds in all. It was reportedly being chased by some dogs so Jay Bitney picked him up to try to keep him safe. Bitney had been in the area for work, crushing gravel.
Download Audio
Emotions Run High As Fishermen Testify On Religion
The Kuskokwim fishermen trials continued today at the Bethel Court House. More fishermen were found guilty for illegal fishing last summer during King salmon closures. The fishermen’s defense attorney continued to ask the court to dismiss the cases and the judge continued to find the fishermen guilty. The fishermen took turns on the stand, some breaking down when they talked about what subsistence meant to them.
Download Audio
Fishermen Found Guilty, Although Court Agrees Subsistence Salmon Fishing Is Religious
Nearly 50 fishermen were cited for illegal salmon fishing last June. Half of them pled not guilty and have been fighting it in court ever since.
Download Audio
Musk Ox Herd Spotted Along Kuskokwim River
A herd of musk oxen was seen on the frozen Kuskokwim River recently. It’s a sign that the population is expanding in the region.
Download Audio
Bethel Cop Charged With DUI At Police Shooting Scene
A former Bethel police officer is being charged with being intoxicated while on the scene of a police shooting last fall. Last October, a Bethel police officer shot and killed a man in a neighborhood near Brown’s Slough. The man, 24-year-old Sam Alexie Jr., was intoxicated and pointed a rifle at the officer who then shot him.
Download Audio
Subsistence Fishermen On Kuskokwim Should Get More Kings This Summer
Last year, an unprecedented 12-day King salmon fishing closure on the Kuskokwim River devastated the subsistence harvest of the fish. Instead of taking about 75,000 Kings as usual, residents only caught 20,000. However, this year should be different.
Listen Now
Bethel Residents Hold Rally For Subsistence Rights
A group of about 40 people held a rally in Bethel this morning for subsistence rights. They gathered in the parking lot of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game office. Most of them were Yup’ik, from Bethel and nearby villages.
Download Audio
Bethel Court Hears Closing Arguments Of Subsistence Fishermen
Closing arguments were heard today in a Bethel courtroom in the trial of 22 subsistence fishermen accused of fishing for king salmon during closures. The trial began on Monday and included testimony from expert witnesses on both sides.
Download Audio
Tribal Management Of Fish And Game Sought At Hearing
Senator Lisa Murkowski hosted a Senate hearing on subsistence in Bethel Tuesday afternoon. Over 25 people spoke and many more turned in written testimony.
Download Audio
U.S. Arctic Research Commission Meets In Bethel
The U.S. Arctic Research Commission is in Bethel for their 100th meeting. The Commission is an independent federal agency that helps plan arctic research goals on the national level.
Download Audio
Tribes Get Larger Voice At AFN With Bylaw Change
The Alaska Federation of Natives has changed its bylaws to give tribes more votes during conventions. The move separates tribal votes from tribal corporation votes.
AVCP Wants Tribes To Be Able to Prosecute Non-Members
The Violence Against Women’s Act that is making its way through Congress has the support of the Association of Village Council Presidents for the most part. However, the Native non-profit organization which represents 56 tribes in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta is opposing part of the legislation, the part that doesn’t allow Alaskan tribes to prosecute non-tribal members.
ACLU Supports Yup’ik Fishermen In Trial
The American Civil Liberties Union of Alaska is joining the Yup’ik fishermen trials. The group has filed a “friend of the court brief” in support of the fishermen’s right to fish as part of their religious practice.
Bethel Police Officer Named In October Shooting
The conclusion of the investigation into the shooting death into the shooting death of 24-year-old Sam Alexie Jr. has spurred the Bethel police department to release the name of the shooting officer. It is Andrew Reid, who is still with the department. He had only been on the force for three months at the time of the shooting although he had been an officer in Massachusetts for four years prior to that.
Board of Fisheries Adopts New Kuskokwim River Plan
The Board of Fisheries adopted a new management plan for the Kuksokwim River which includes stronger language supporting the King salmon subsistence fishery.
Jeff King Wins Kuskokwim 300
Jeff King of Denali won the Kuskokwim 300 sled dog race for the ninth time Sunday. Twenty-one teams competed.
Board To Consider 70 Arctic Yukon-Kuskokwim Fisheries Proposals
This week in Anchorage, the Alaska Board of Fisheries will consider 70 Arctic Yukon Kuskokwim fishery proposals. One proposal of special interest to the Kuskokwim looks to update the river’s Salmon Management Plan, including making some changes to the King salmon fishery.
K300 Looks For Volunteers To Help With Large Field
The K300 Sled Dog Race starts in Bethel on Jan. 18 and preparations are in full swing. Twenty-eight teams are signed up to compete, the largest field in about 15 years.
Boarding Schools Offer New Opportunities For Some Families
This time of year, many students at Alaska’s boarding schools are heading home for winter break. Boarding schools have a long and complicated history for Alaska Natives; some blame them for loss of indigenous languages, and some students suffered abuse at schools.