ALFA Staff
Why Are Alaska’s Rivers Turning Orange?
Why Are Alaska’s Rivers Turning Orange?
ALFA Staff
Halibut Catch Sharing Plan Update
Halibut Catch Sharing Plan Update

A New Wave: The National Future Fishermen Coalition Launches in  Support of the Next Generation of U.S. Commercial Fishermen 

National Future Fishermen Coalition

May 22nd, 2025

By Maité Duquela

[May 22nd, 2025] – Today marks the official launch of the National Future  Fishermen Coalition (NFFC), a united effort dedicated to ensuring a strong, resilient,  and opportunity-rich future for America’s commercial fisheries. By investing in the next  generation, NFFC is working to secure a future where fishing remains a vital and  thriving part of our nation's coastal economies, food systems, and cultural heritage. 

As America’s working waterfronts face mounting challenges - ranging from rising  operational costs and burdensome regulations to reduced access to waterfront  infrastructure and increasing consolidation within the seafood supply chain—the need  for action has never been more urgent. "The graying of the fleet is not just a  nationwide issue, it is a global issue”, comments Andrea Tomlinson, Executive  Director of the New England Young Fishermen's Alliance (NEYFA). “De-stigmatizing  our small- and medium-sized boat fishermen and women is the first step toward  educating our nation about our sustainable national seafood supply.” 

Echoing this urgency, Raymond Rowell, Permit Bank Director at the Cape Cod  Commercial Fishermen’s Alliance (CCCFA), noted, “Without investment in training  the next generation, it’s difficult to envision a future at all. In an industry hampered by  increasing regulations and razor thin margins, boat owners can’t afford to miss trips  because they lack crew members.” 

NFFC represents the first national coalition of its kind focused on addressing the  ‘graying of the fleet’ that threatens the future of commercial fishing. “This initiative  brings together a national body of individuals and organizations to strategically  tackle the generational shift happening in commercial fisheries,” said Bob Gill, a  respected independent fisheries expert and Steering Committee member of the NFFC.

Read full article here

Judge blocks Trump EPA from clawing back $14 billion in climate grants, April 16, 2025

Washington Post

April 16th 2025

By Maxine Joselow

A federal judge has temporarily blocked President Donald Trump’s Environmental Protection Agency from terminating at least $14 billion in climate grants approved under President Joe Biden.

U.S. District Judge Tanya S. Chutkan of D.C. issued a preliminary injunction late Tuesday that prohibits the EPA from “unlawfully suspending or terminating” the grant awards. She also ordered Citibank, which was tasked with disbursing the funds, to release the money to the grant recipients.

The decision deals yet another setback to the Trump administration’s efforts to freeze climate spending across the government. Another federal judge ruled Tuesday that agencies must release billions in additional climate funding that had been paused since Inauguration Day.

Chutkan’s ruling marks the latest twist in an extraordinary fight over a grant program that remains central to Biden’s climate legacy. Commonly known as a “green bank,” the Greenhouse Gas Reduction Fund authorized tens of billions in grants for recipients to invest in green technologies such as solar panels, heat pumps, electric vehicles and more.

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Guest writers: Bellingham’s SE Alaska salmon fleet threatened by lawsuits, misinformation

Guest writers: Bellingham’s SE Alaska salmon fleet threatened by lawsuits, misinformation

By Kendall Whitney and Linda Behnken.

This week marks the annual Wild Seafood Connection in Bellingham when independent commercial fishermen, chefs and seafood buyers come together to share information and build relationships in the local seafood marketplace. As they gather, we are reminded that small-boat fisheries sustain our food system and economy, providing nutritious seafood and renewable revenue.

New study: Red Chris mine leaking toxicants into Stikine River headwaters

Salmon Beyond Borders

April 3rd, 2025

By Mary Catharine Martin

Salmon Beyond Borders calls for ban on mine waste dams along transboundary rivers

JUNEAU, ALASKA—A disturbing report recently released by Canadian conservationists has revealed that Canada’s massive Red Chris copper-gold mine, located in Tahltan Territory in northern British Columbia (B.C.), Canada, is contaminating groundwater, creeks, and lakes in the upper reaches of the Iskut River, the largest tributary of the transboundary Stikine River. The Stikine, North America’s fastest free-flowing navigable river, flows into the United States at the community of Wrangell, Alaska. It is a critical salmon producer for both countries, serves as key habitat for a wide array of wildlife, and has been both home and a trade route for Indigenous peoples for thousands of years.

The report details an investigation conducted by Terrace, B.C.-based organization SkeenaWild Conservation Trust, mostly using data that is not readily available and was obtained through Freedom of Information Act requests. Report findings include that critical fish habitat near the mine has been destroyed and the seepage of contaminants like selenium and copper from the Red Chris Mine’s waste facility and waste rock piles is higher than predicted and could negatively impact aquatic life. The levels of selenium detected in fish tissue in nearby lakes are increasing and could be harmful to the fish and to the humans eating them. At elevated levels, selenium can cause mutations and death in fish and other animals. The impacted water bodies are an important source of food, clean water, and ways of life for residents of Iskut and the surrounding communities in Tahltan Territory, Northwestern B.C.

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Science supporting Alaska seafood industry threatened by federal firings, biologists and fishermen say

Science supporting Alaska seafood industry threatened by federal firings, biologists and fishermen say

Rebecca Howard is a marine biologist who spent six years in graduate school — largely funded by federal scholarship dollars — to earn a doctorate at Oregon State University. Last April, she was hired by the National Ocean and Atmospheric Administration’s fisheries branch to join in annual surveys off Alaska that gather data vital to the management of the nation’s biggest seafood harvests.

Federal Workforce and Budget Cuts

Federal Workforce and Budget Cuts

The Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association stands in strong support of NOAA/NMFS's mission and commitment to sound science.  Our fishermen rely on timely and accurate weather data for safety and trip planning; we rely on comprehensive resource surveys and sound science as the basis for fisheries management.

Remembering Tad Fujioka

Remembering Tad Fujioka

Tad was brilliant. He was also humble and kind. He could solve any problem and would drop everything to help a friend. He committed hours to research and data analysis, but took every opportunity to express gratitude to anyone else who worked for our fleet or helped in any way. Tad was an active ALFA member, always jumping in to help at every event. He was on the board of the Alaska Sustainable Fisheries Trust and board chair of the Seafood Producers Cooperative. He gave freely of his time, expertise and incredible facility with numbers and data. No one can fill the hole he has left in our community. 

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