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Despite Russia’s post-invasion isolation, some narrow openings for Arctic cooperation remain
Russia comprises half of the world’s Arctic region, so how can Arctic cooperation proceed without Russia? And for Alaska, which shares bodies of water, marine ecosystems, animal populations, cultures and, in some cases, language and even family ties across the Bering Strait, how can those shared resources and interests be protected when communication with Russian […]
Sea ice, critical to ecosystems and communities, looms large at Alaska conference
Suspended in netting in a downtown Anchorage building is a potent symbol of Arctic climate change: a chunk of sea ice that started at 310 pounds but is steadily shrinking, that was transported from Utqiagvik to the Dena’ina Civic and Convention Center. The ice was set up as a prominent display at the Arctic Encounter […]
Alaska officials prepare for possible commercial fishing expansion into Arctic waters
Bans on commercial fishing in U.S. and international Arctic waters have been lauded as admirable preemptive actions that protect vulnerable resources before they are damaged by exploitation. But now the Alaska Department of Fish and Game is preparing for a time when the 14-year-old moratorium on commercial fishing in federal Arctic waters is lifted. The […]
Fishery expert says he is optimistic about long-term prospects for Bristol Bay sockeye salmon
The long-term outlook is bright for Bristol Bay sockeye runs, source of a thriving commercial fishery that has enjoyed record-breaking returns and harvests in recent years, a salmon expert told a conference last week. Part of the credit goes to the warming climate in that southeast Bering Sea region, Daniel Schindler, a professor at the […]
Legislative resolution takes aim at EPA wood-stove certification in Fairbanks
A resolution pending in the Alaska Legislature urges both the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency and the Alaska Department of Environmental Conservation to do more to address wintertime air pollution in Fairbanks. House Joint Resolution 11 calls on the federal agency to improve a wood-stove certification program that has been deemed ineffective. It also calls on the […]
Gas leak at ConocoPhillips field reviewed a year later, with enforcement action possible
A year after a gas leak at a North Slope oil field prompted a temporary evacuation of about 300 workers, the sealing and abandonment of a well and heightened concerns about health impacts of expanding development in Nuiqsut, a nearby Inupiat village, state regulators are considering whether to take any enforcement action over the incident. […]
New revenue estimate for Willow project presents rosier picture for Alaska treasury
A revised estimate by Alaska Department of Revenue experts projects that ConocoPhillips’ massive Willow oil project will start paying off to the state treasury by 2030, years earlier than past analyses, department experts told legislators on Thursday. The new analysis presents a more positive picture for state revenues than did an analysis issued by the […]
Budget items and policy changes recommended to help protect Indigenous women and girls
At a legislative hearing that reviewed grim statistics about the dangers facing Alaska Native women and girls, Indigenous activists presented recommendations for better state responses. Those dangers can be addressed through the state budget and through other practical actions, activists said Wednesday in testimony to the House Tribal Affairs Special Committee. Before detailing their policy […]
Alaska homicide statistics detailed in new report show gender and ethnic disparities
Twice as many males as females were homicide victims in Alaska from 2011 to 2020, , according to a report released Monday by state health officials. Homicides increased over the period, from a low of 34 in 2011 to a high of 78 in 2019, according to the report, released by the Alaska Division of […]
Kodiak lawmakers outline fishery-related accomplishments and ambitions
A bill that passed the Alaska Legislature last year has already started to benefit the fishing industry, and more fishing-specific bills are in the works this year, state lawmakers representing Kodiak said on Friday at an industry conference. Alaska Senate President Gary Stevens, a Republican leading a bipartisan majority, told the audience at ComFish Alaska […]
Study documents high rates and persistence of colorectal cancer among Alaska Natives
Alaska Natives continued to have the world’s highest rates of colorectal cancer as of 2018, and case rates failed to decline significantly for the two decades leading up to that year, according to a newly published study. The study, by experts from the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention and the Alaska Native Tribal Health […]
Peltola, Murkowski warn that fixing fish crisis will be time-consuming and complex
The disastrous collapses of Alaska salmon and crab fisheries, some happening at the same time, will require a long time and a variety of tools to address, the state’s senior U.S. senator and sole U.S. House member said in a panel discussion at an annual fishing industry conference in Kodiak. To Rep. Mary Peltola, who […]