National Fisherman

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Salmon

Bering Sea pollock come aboard a trawler. NMFS video image.

North Pacific council seeks public comment on pelagic trawl gear

Margaret Bauman

Copper River salmon. National Park Service photo.

Copper River sockeye fillets are a hot seller

Margaret Bauman

California’s ocean salmon fishery reopened in May 2026 after a three-year closure. River fishing for Chinook salmon is also reopening, but at different times in 2026. Eric Palkovacs photo.

California’s salmon fishery is reopening, but that doesn’t mean all is well

Guest Author

According to a recent report, the 2025 Pacific salmon harvest totaled 425.7 million fish, marking the lowest aggregate for an odd-numbered year since 1987. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

NPAFC reports lowest odd-year harvest of Pacific salmon

Margaret Bauman

Rowan Miller has been working on her father’s salmon seiner since she was 14. At 24, she has utilized the Alaska Commercial Fishing Loan Program to finance the purchase of her first boat, the Journeyman. Credit: Rowan Miller

Boat of the Month: Journeyman

Paul Molyneaux

NOAA Fisheries has determined that Gulf of Alaska Chinook salmon will not be listed under the Endangered Species Act. Photo courtesy of Shutterstock

NOAA declines ESA listing for Gulf of Alaska Chinook

Carli Clancy

The Little Susitna River in the Talkeetna Mountain range is a 313-mile-long river in southcentral Alaska. Photo courtesy of Michael Siluk

Groundwater plays a critical role in Southcentral Alaska salmon rivers

Margaret Bauman

Pollock trawlers operate under strict bycatch limits designed to protect Pacific salmon stocks. Shuttertsock photo.

Research continues toward automated bycatch monitoring

Margaret Bauman

University of Washington researchers are forecasting a 2026 total Bristol Bay sockeye salmon run of 41.5 million fish, with slightly larger fish than in 2025. Photo courtesy of theautumnonempire

Bristol Bay sockeye forecast drops below recent average for 2026

Margaret Bauman

In 2025, no mainstream Alaska media even mentioned the start of the 2025 salmon season, nor did Alaska Airlines participate. Photo courtesy of Alaska Fish News / Laine Welch

Copper River opener will launch Alaska’s 2026 salmon season

Laine Welch

Wild steelhead like these are among the species Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund dollars are designed to protect, with NOAA Fisheries announcing up to $99 million in grants for West Coast and Alaska conservation projects. NOAA Fisheries photo.

NOAA opens $99 million in Salmon recovery funds for West Coast and Alaska

NF Staff