Olivia Ebertz, KYUK - Bethel

During the second year of a sudden salmon collapse on the Yukon River, residents of traditional villages are facing food insecurity and a loss of culture.

On Aug. 12, a fire tore through a Bethel apartment complex, killing three people and injuring six others.

Lightning caused most of the fires.

According to court documents, Bethel Police Department Investigator Skyler Smith had relied on the testimony of just one fifteen-year-old eyewitness who said he saw Andrew start the fire.

Police have charged 35 year-old Adam Andrew with 11 felony counts and six misdemeanor counts. Among the most serious charges are three counts of murder in the second degree and one count of arson.

Without salmon, people say they’re eating less protein and spending far more on groceries.

As the Yukon River begins to switch over to fall management, fishermen along the river say that they’re having to rely increasingly on expensive store goods and food stamps to meet their caloric needs.

At the core of this debate is a question of who the fish belong to.

In the wake of chum salmon crashes in Western Alaska, subsistence fishermen have been pleading with the state to restrict commercial salmon fishing near the Alaska Peninsula. Commercial and subsistence fishermen have been using fish genetics to bolster their claims to the fish.

In the wake of chum salmon crashes in Western Alaska, subsistence fishermen have been pleading with the state to restrict salmon fishing near the Aleutian Islands. Subsistence users say that commercial vessels are taking fish bound for their rivers.