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Alaska’s economy is recovering, but it is hampered by negative demographic trends
Alaska’s economy shows signs of prosperity. But it’s also facing an emerging crisis. A veteran economist described these contradictory forces in a presentation Wednesday at an industry conference in Anchorage. “We have the strangest and weirdest economy that I’ve ever seen, and I’ve been following the economy for a long, long time,” Neal Fried of […]
Play Every Day campaign seen as effective in inspiring better beverage choices for children
A public health campaign in Alaska has shown success at convincing parents to serve their children less sugary drinks, a newly published study says. Mothers who have seen public-information spots created by Alaska Department of Health’s Play Every Day program reported that they have been inspired by it to change the beverages they serve their […]
Dead bowheads in Beaufort and Chukchi point to increased killer whale presence in Arctic
There are new signs that killer whales, which are swimming farther north and staying for longer periods of the year in Arctic waters, are increasingly preying on Alaska’s bowhead whales. A newly published study found that 2019, an especially warm year in the region, also seems to have been an especially dangerous year for bowheads […]
Last year’s seabird bycatch toll was lower than average, but so was fishing effort, report says
Bycatch, the incidental catch of untargeted species in commercial fisheries, is not just about salmon, crab and other fish. Seabirds are also caught and killed unintentionally in fishing gear. A newly released annual report from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration shows some mixed but mostly positive trends for bycatch of birds in Alaska halibut […]
Despite extremes on both ends, Alaska’s total commercial salmon catch was about average
The trends in Alaska salmon headed in opposite directions in 2022, sometimes extremely so, but ended up meeting in the middle. The total commercial salmon harvest for the year wound up being close to historic averages for total fish and value, according to a preliminary summary report released by the Alaska Department of Fish and […]
Long-running dispute over Izembek road to get another review in court-ordered rehearing
A back-and-forth legal saga over a proposed road through a national wildlife refuge in Alaska took another turn on Thursday when the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ordered a rehearing of the issue, a move that could possibly squash the project. The case involves a land trade that would enable construction of a gravel […]
State oil lease sales draw more than $5 million in bids for North Slope and Beaufort Sea
Businesses spent more than $5 million for leases giving them the right to explore for oil on state-owned territory in the Arctic, the Alaska Department of Natural Resources announced on Wednesday. The 2022 areawide North Slope lease sale held once a year by the Division of Oil and Gas was the main attraction, with 63 […]
In closely watched Alaska U.S. Senate and House races, outcomes will take 2 weeks to be determined
The nation’s eyes are on the U.S. Senate and House races in Alaska, but anyone wanting to know the outcome will have to be patient. Defending their seats are two high-profile women. In the Senate is Lisa Murkowski, a Republican who voted to impeach former President Donald Trump – and who has been the target […]
Monitors headed to certain Alaska polling sites to ensure compliance with federal laws
The U.S. Department of Justice said Monday will have monitors on duty at polling places in four Alaska areas to help ensure compliance with various federal laws protecting voters. Monitors will be at sites in three western Alaska sites – Bethel, the Dillingham census area and the Kusilvak census area – and at sites in […]
Western Arctic Caribou Herd decline continues, bringing population to a third of peak size
One of the world’s biggest caribou herds is continuing a long-term population slide, according to new numbers released this week by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. The Western Arctic Caribou Herd is down to 164,000, a decline of 24,000 from the population count made last year and roughly a third of the peak […]
Angst over youth outmigration emerges in Alaska campaign rhetoric and debates
For nine straight years, more people have left Alaska than moved to the state, and for eight of those years, Alaska’s total population declined. It is the longest stretch of net outmigration recorded in Alaska since World War II. This election season, those demographic trends have been invoked in campaign rhetoric and some finger-pointing. Challengers […]
Research project seeks to increase screenings for colorectal cancer in Yukon-Kuskokwim region
Alaska Natives have the world’s highest documented rate of incidents and deaths from colorectal cancer, more than twice that of U.S. whites. Now a five-year project is examining better ways to ensure that Alaska Natives in rural areas can detect the early signs of those cancers and thus avoid bad outcomes. It involves varying types […]