Tag: Food Security
State steps in to coordinate salmon deliveries to Yukon River communities
Low runs have meant no subsistence fishing for king or chum salmon on the Yukon River this summer, so the Dunleavy administration has asked Fish and Game to coordinate deliveries of salmon other Alaska processors to Yukon River communities.
“It’s the fabric of our culture coming apart”: Yukon River communities face chinook and chum closure
Ben Stevens, a tribal resources manager for Tanana Chiefs Conference says with both the chum and king salmon fisheries closed, Yukon River communities are scared of losing their protein source for the winter. They're also worried about losing their way of life if low runs continue.
Bristol Bay records its largest sockeye run on record
Bristol Bay’s 2021 sockeye run is the largest on record: 63.2 million fish have returned to the bay, breaking the 2018 record of 62.9 million.
Rapid erosion threatens set net fishery in Southwest Alaska village
The beach acts as natural infrastructure for the fishery. But the rapidly eroding coastline takes away a top layer of gravel. That causes weight issues for the trucks delivering large catches to the processor about a mile away.
LISTEN: How worried should Alaskans be about the future of food security?
Food security is on the minds of Alaskans because of supply line disruptions brought on by the pandemic. How do those concerns differ across the state, and especially for indigenous people in rural communities who depend heavily on subsistence?
DEC budget proposal puts small shellfish farming operations at risk
After about a decade of subsidizing shellfish testing for retailers around the state, the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation is seeking to shift some of that cost back to the industry.
Meals for Angoon school children hinge on regular ferry service
In many Alaska coastal communities, ferry service is more than just a transportation link. It can also be a form of survival.
Feds to change food assistance rules, providers worry more Alaskans will go hungry
Those affected by the changes could include Alaskans living in rural communities with weak cash economies and few jobs, and people experiencing homelessness, mental illnesses, substance abuse disorders and more.
Mulchatna caribou conservation efforts are just beginning, manager says
A call-in radio show hosted by Bethel-based KYUK gave local subsistence users and federal managers a chance to share local knowledge of the Mulchatna caribou and to discuss how federal authorities plan to manage the hunt.
Bacteria levels high at Ketchikan beaches, shellfish harvest sites this summer
A dozen common shellfish harvest sites and recreational beaches in the Ketchikan area exceeded safe bacteria levels at least once this summer, according to a coalition of groups that monitor water quality.
Mulchatna caribou herd population drops by half, prompting hunting bag limit reduction
The reason behind the disappearance of high numbers of adult caribou remains a mystery, and with the Mulchatna herd declining so quickly, managers had no choice but to reduce the bag limit.
Rebuilt cafe, new community greenhouse springing up in Tenakee
The greenhouse is expected to be operational by the end of winter, in time to plant seeds for summer gardens.
Whalers in Utqiaġvik can’t remember hunting this late without landing a bowhead
Some residents say this is unprecedented for the whale-dependent village that last fall captured nearly 20. Also unprecedented are this year’s temperatures: It was the warmest May through September on record in Utqiagvik.
Tlingit potatoes continue to thrive thanks to Sitka Tribe, Forest Service
Historically, Tlingit people planted the tubers by the beach, at the forest’s edge, where there was ample sunlight and plenty of seaweed and fish gut fertilizer.
Bethel’s Meyers Farm shuts down market, focuses on internet sales
Tim Meyers says his Bethel farm was not selling enough produce in its store, and switching to produce boxes could be one way to reduce food waste.
Nome summit focuses on food sovereignty in Alaska
Members of the Inuit Circumpolar Council discussed topics ranging from wildlife management to fisheries.
‘It’s starvation.’ Biologists in Alaska see a fifth year of significant seabird die-offs
According to the National Park Service, reports received by mid-August documented thousands of dead short-tailed shearwaters from Bristol Bay, and lower numbers of other types of birds, found deceased in the Northern Bering and Chukchi Seas. This marks the fifth year in a row Alaska has seen mass seabird mortality events.
NOAA declares unusual mortality event for Arctic ice seals
Since June 2018, NOAA has documented 282 dead seals in the Bering and Chukchi Seas, and close to 300 stranded seals.
Blue king crab fisheries in the Bering Sea are struggling
A recent report by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric administration shows an Alaska crab stock was just added to the nation's overfished list.
Rising ocean temperatures intensify paralytic shellfish poisoning levels in Southeast waters
Over the last few months levels of paralytic shellfish poisoning in Southeast Alaskan shellfish have been very high. A coalition of tribal organizations is tracking PSP levels to make sure subsistence users can safely harvest shellfish.