A collaborative marketing plan is in the works for the summer of 2024 by two major seafood entities, in an effort to better educate seafood lovers on how wild Alaska salmon gets from the boat to their dinner plates.  Copper River/ Prince William Sound Regional Seafood Development Association (RSDA) and Bristol Bay Regional Seafood Development Association announced on April 30 plans for digital content on their websites and social media platforms to showcase authentic tales of both fisheries and their salmon, with an emphasis on sustainability and environmental impact.  Combining this ..read more

Things are looking up for the Copper River wild sockeye salmon fishery set to open in mid-May, and Copper River Seafoods is going all out to celebrate with a First Fish Anchorage Party to feed and educate several hundred people on the cultural and economic value of those reds.  The 2024 wild Copper River sockeye salmon total run forecast is strong at 1,965,000 fish, in a forecast range of 1,572,000 to 2,358,000 fish, or 13% above the 10-year average of 1,740,000 sockeyes, while the wild Chinook salmon run is forecast at 2% below the 10-year average of 48,000 kings.  The annual event ..read more

Cordova School District is still in a waiting game, with no further information forthcoming from the Alaska Legislature on whether the critical Basic Student Allocation (BSA) will be raised to an amount that would accommodate basics in the local school budget, from staff to sports.  Cordova School Superintendent Alex Russin said the school district is still facing a deficit for lack of state support and a number of reductions are being considered, with no final action taken.  “We are keeping our fingers crossed, hoping there will be some funds coming our way,” he said.  As the s ..read more

In a display of skill and determination, a team of 11 student athletes from Cordova showcased their prowess at this year’s Native Youth Olympic (NYO) Games, held over the weekend. The event, celebrated for its emphasis on Indigenous athleticism and culture, witnessed the Native Village of Eyak’s (NVE) representatives leaving a mark of excellence.  Among the standout performances, Cordova 9th grader Taylor Tiedeman emerged as a formidable competitor, securing 5th place in the Eskimo Stick Pull event. Tiedeman’s display of strength and technique earned her a spot on the podium.  Anothe ..read more

By Amanda Williams and Robert Masolini   A celebration of life for Gerald Peter Masolini will take place on May 5 at the Orca Adventure Lodge from 2 p.m. to 5 p.m.  Join family and friends for an afternoon of remembrance and honoring our beloved Gerald. We will begin with a benediction and opening remarks, followed by a slideshow of photos and videos of Gerald’s legacy, storytelling from family and friends, guitar and song accompaniment, and a potluck assortment of goodies.   We ask if you will be joining us and are so inclined to please bring a dish to share with the ..read more

By The Alaska House Coalition  The recent court decision striking down Alaska’s correspondence statutes as unconstitutional is a wake-up call for all Alaskans. We must come together to support all kids, whether they attend neighborhood, charter, optional, or home school.  In the last month of session, we are committed to working together with our colleagues to pass comprehensive education reform restoring adequate funding for all education programs while fixing the correspondence statutes to comply with our Alaska Constitution. Working with the majority we would like to:  Pass ..read more

A humpback whale hog-tied in fishing gear in Iliuliuk Bay, near the Port of Dutch Harbor, was freed from being anchored down in a high vessel traffic area, thanks to the team effort of NOAA Fisheries, partners and trained local volunteers.  NOAA said in a statement issued on April 19 that the subadult male whale, who was first reported to be entangled on April 1, was freed on Friday, April 5.  This was the first documented successful use of the whale disentanglement exoscope to free an entangled whale, the federal agency said.  The whale appeared initially to be in good conditio ..read more

A federal decision favoring no right-of-way approval for the Ambler Road is drawing outrage from Alaska’s congressional delegation and governor, and kudos from several Alaska tribal and environmental entities.  Interior Department officials said on Friday, April 19 that the 210 miles of the Ambler Road proposed by the Alaska Industrial Development and Export Authority (AIDEA) would span an area of significant wildlife habitat and pristine waters vital for subsistence along the Brooks Range in north central Alaska.    The Bureau of Land Management (BLM) has identified “no ac ..read more

By Kim Scanlan  Oct. 17, 1932 – Jan. 20, 2024  It is with a great deal of sadness that we announce the passing of Helen Armstrong (née Matson). Helen passed away after a brief illness in Dana Point, California on Jan. 20, 2024 at the age of 91.   She was born in Cordova on Oct. 17, 1932, and was the youngest of four children born to Finnish immigrant parents Anders Gustav Matson and Elmina Matson (née Saisa). She excelled in school and despite being raised in a small remote Alaskan fishing village she won a full scholarship to Stanford University at age 16.   She ..read more

Commercial seafood deliveries to Cordova continue to rank its port among the top 20 in the nation, as documented in the latest Fisheries Economics of the United States Report.  The national summary of the 2022 economic performance of U.S. marine fisheries and related industries and their role in the nation’s economy, released on April 4, notes that in 2022 that the total of 65.3 million pounds of seafood delivered to Cordova were valued at $76.4 million.  Dutch Harbor once again ranked top in the nation for pounds of seafood delivered — with a total of 613.5 million pounds valued at ..read more