Hope McKenney, KUCB - Unalaska

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A black and white image of a boat on rough seas.

Coast Guard medevacs fisherman pinned by crab pot southwest of Unalaska

The U.S. Coast Guard medevaced a man Tuesday night from a fishing boat approximately 200 miles southwest of Unalaska. He was seriously injured after pinned by a crab pot.
A dirt road under cloudy sky

St. Paul island has recorded just 2 COVID cases since the pandemic started

A city official says the island’s high vaccination rate and strict protocols, like mandatory testing, have kept the virus from spreading.
Homes clustered in the grass, under a cloud

Adak — the nation’s westernmost city — made it 18 months with only one COVID case, until now

City Manager Layton Lockett said the city has nine new cases of the virus — all of them visitors to the remote island. It's the first time the virus has reached the community of roughly 100 people since they recorded their first case last December.

With low stocks and closures looming, Bering Sea crab fleet braces for another blow

In 55 years, there have been just two other closures: once in the 1980s and again in the 1990s.
A village on the ocean with a volcano in the background

Dutch Harbor is nation’s top fishing port for 23rd straight year

But while the number of fish landed in Dutch Harbor is far greater than any other port in the country, the Aleutian community remains in third place in terms of dollar value — topped by New Bedford, Mass., in first place and Naknek in second.
A woman in a sweatshirt and jeans holds a stuffed animal bald eagle in a blanket.

‘One of the craziest things I’ve ever signed up for’: Meet Unalaska’s new bald eagle wrangler

Megan Dean demonstrates how to rescue an eagle at the Museum of the Aleutians store. (Hope McKenney/KUCB) There's a new bald eagle wrangler in Unalaska.  That's right: The island has volunteers who, under a U.S. Fish...
A fuel barge in deep blue water

After 5-month wait forces fuel rationing, barge arrives in St. Paul

The Pribilof Island community of St. Paul was under a fuel ration for the last month and a half after the fuel barge repeatedly canceled its delivery.
A boat at dock in front of a snow-covered montain

U.S. Seafoods apologizes to Unalaska after COVID-positive crew caused widespread exposure at local bar

A Seattle seafood company has issued an apology to Unalaska after crewmembers from one of its vessels at port in the island community breached isolation protocols to visit a crowded local bar last weekend.
A redish wooden uilding with a sign that says "norwegian rat" in a foggy location

Bering Sea fishermen likely had COVID-19 and still went to Unalaska bar. Now, locals have to quarantine.

The fishermen came from a vessel where COVID-19 cases were suspected, but still visited Unalaska's popular Norwegian Rat Saloon during Saturday's margarita and taco night.
A white wooden church with a golden onion dome

St. Paul enters ‘hunker down’ after detecting first COVID-19 case of pandemic

About 60% of the eligible residents of the Pribilof Island community have been vaccinated.
A deck of a boat pulling up crab pots

With fishing slowed by pandemic, Bering Sea crabbers push for extended season

A group of Bering Sea crabbers say the pandemic has slowed their fishing season, and they want more time to catch their quota before the state shuts down their season next week.
A dirt road under cloudy sky

After barge didn’t show in St. Paul, Bering Sea fishermen forced to make 500-mile detour to refuel

The Bering Sea island community of St. Paul has been expecting a fuel barge for two months, but it hasn't showed, forcing the town into a fuel ration.
A bunch of large warehouses on the side of a mountain

Trident reopens Akutan processing plant after month-long COVID-19 closure

Nearly half of Trident's 700-person workforce ultimately tested positive for the virus, company officials said Monday.
A large black boat

Inquiry into the fatal Scandies Rose sinking to begin in Seattle

A two-week federal inquiry into the fatal sinking of the F/V Scandies Rose — lost on New Year's Eve 2019 west of Kodiak Island — will open on Monday in Seattle.
A big blue plant with a boom gate by the entrance

Major Aleutian seafood plant reopens after COVID-19 outbreak

Unalaska's largest fish processing plant reopened Monday after a COVID-19 outbreak forced it to shut down for almost a month.
A bunch of large warehouses on the side of a mountain

COVID-19 hits second Trident plant in Aleutians, as original outbreak grows to 266 cases

COVID-19 has hit another processing plant operated by fishing giant Trident Seafoods — this time aboard one of the corporation's massive factory trawlers, the Island Enterprise.
Some buildings next to the water against a hill

COVID-19 outbreak grows at remote Aleutian fish plant

At least 15 people considered at "high-risk" from COVID-19 are being moved by ship to Unalaska, state health officials said. Two more were evacuated to an Anchorage hospital.
Some buildings next to the water against a hill

Worker evacuated from Akutan seafood processor after positive COVID-19 test

A second seafood processing plant in the Aleutian Islands has been hit with COVID-19 infections as the busy winter pollock fishing season is set to kick off.
A blue warehouse building with a small entry building oustdie where employees in hazmat equiipment wait

Unalaska seafood plant remains on lockdown with 20 more COVID-19 cases

UniSea is one of the largest seafood plants in the world.
A village on the ocean with a volcano in the background

Unalaska moves to ‘high risk’ after confirming community spread of COVID-19

Unalaska's city-run facilities — including the public library and swimming pool — will temporarily close beginning Friday.