Articles written by Nathaniel Herz
Sorted by date Results 1 - 16 of 16
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Fishermen and communities in limbo as state-backed seafood company teeters
The fishing fleet in the Southwest Alaska town of King Cove would have been harvesting Pacific cod this winter. But they didn't: Skippers had nowhere to sell their catch. The enormous plant that... Full story
Lease of Peter Pan Seafoods plants doesn't help King Cove
A troubled, state-backed seafood processing company, Peter Pan Seafoods, has announced that it’s pursuing a deal to sell its plants to another business. But the news still leaves a key asset, the massive plant in the Alaska Peninsula village of K... Full story
Researchers say high pink salmon numbers hurt sockeye returns
A new analysis of nearly 25,000 fish scales offers more evidence that the millions of pink salmon churned out by Alaska fish hatcheries could be harming wild sockeye salmon populations when they meet in the ocean, according to the scientists who... Full story
Environmental group petitions to list Alaska king salmon as endangered
A Washington state-based environmental group says it’s filing a petition asking the Biden administration to list southern Alaska king salmon as an endangered species — following through on notice of intent it filed last year. The Wild Fish Con... Full story
Peter Pan Seafood closes largest Alaska plant for this winter
In a major hit to Southwest Alaska’s fishing industry, Peter Pan Seafood will keep its huge plant in the village of King Cove shuttered this winter, meaning that the company won’t be processing millions of dollars worth of cod, pollock, crab, sal... Full story
State appeals judge's ruling that allowed Kake subsistence hunt
In the middle of the COVID-19 pandemic, the leader of Kake’s tribal government asked federal managers to open an emergency hunt, citing the community’s fears about having enough food. The request was approved by a federal management agency, the Fed... Full story
Governor names radio show host to commercial fishing post
Gov. Mike Dunleavy has appointed a Republican advertising consultant and talk show host to a highly paid state government job overseeing commercial fishing permits. Dunleavy this month appointed Mike Porcaro of Anchorage as one of two commissioners o... Full story
In 'major victory' for Southeast trollers, federal appeals panel reverses closure
A federal appeals panel issued a last-second ruling June 21 that will allow this summer’s Southeast Alaska troll chinook salmon fishery to open as scheduled Saturday — reversing a lower court ruling that would have kept the $85 million industry off... Full story
Lower 48 group plans to seek endangered listing for multiple Alaska king stocks
A Washington state-based conservation group whose actions have already caused the closure of the Southeast Alaska king salmon commercial troll fishery is now planning to ask the federal government to list several Alaska king salmon stocks under the... Full story
Alaska-Canada officials willing to talk about salmon hatcheries on Yukon River
The salmon crisis in Western Alaska is prompting new discussions in the U.S. and Canada about an idea that would have been a non-starter a decade ago: Maybe it’s time to build hatcheries to stem the steep fish declines on the Yukon River. I... Full story
Bank sues Yakutat Native corporation over unpaid loans for logging business
A Washington state-based bank has sued the Alaska Native corporation based in Yakutat over what the bank says is $13.3 million in unpaid loans — sparking fears in the community about the loss of Indigenous lands. Yak-Tat Kwaan received some 36 s... Full story
Governor believes state can make millions storing global-warming carbon emissions
For decades, Alaska’s economy has depended on the harvest of natural resources — industries like pumping oil out of the ground and cutting timber. Now, Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy wants the state to make money by leaving trees standing, and by pum...
State House organization 'at a stalemate' in evenly divided chamber
After last month’s elections, the Alaska Capitol, so far, is split. Voters re-elected conservative Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy, and a centrist, bipartisan coalition is set to take control of the state Senate. The makeup of the House governing m... Full story
Alaska Native corporations in court over resource revenue sharing
A new lawsuit threatens to upend a landmark, four-decade-old revenue-sharing pact that has guided the distribution of more than $2.5 billion among Alaska’s Native corporations. The litigation stems from the 121-page, 1982 settlement agreement that ha... Full story
Governor names new Permanent Fund trustee to replace Ketchikan banker
Gov. Mike Dunleavy has appointed a philanthropist-businesswoman to the six-member board of trustees of the Alaska Permanent Fund Corp., which manages the $79 billion investment account that pays for a huge share of public services and the annual...
Sealaska's investment in kelp foods part of its focus on ocean health
Bull kelp is found up and down the Pacific Coast, can grow as long as 100 feet, and is edible in products like salsa and hot sauce. It's also part of the future for Sealaska Corp., which in 2020...
