Moderator: Kate Naughten, Director of Communications, NOAA
Commercially important fish stocks have been known to wax and wane over the years, and that has happened in a big way in recent years with the cancellation of Alaska’s snow and king crab seasons and other marine ecosystem changes. Sensational headlines have declared that such developments signal the imminent demise of Alaska fisheries, but there have been success stories as well. While climate-driven changes in the marine and freshwater environment have caused chinook and chum stocks to decline in the Yukon River, Bristol Bay fishermen harvested a record number 57 million sockeye in 2022. Other species such as sablefish have also shown signs of significant increases during recent climate variability.
Given all of this info, what’s the accurate state of the rest of Alaska’s fisheries? What is the future for the stocks that are in flux? What’s the proper management response to changes in the climate and fish markets? Hear the answers to these questions as well as an exploration of topics like:
• how climate change has impacted Alaska’s marine ecosystems that affect fisheries
• the potential for predicting impacts of changing climate for certain species and areas
• the impact of extreme events on stocks that were already in decline and some, like snow crab, that had recent increases in recruitment
A panel of experts from NOAA Fisheries will talk through all of these issues to provide insights into what these facts and perceptions mean for potential changes to Alaska fishery regulations, what sustainable fisheries management looks like in the short term as well as how all of it should impact long-term planning for commercial fishermen.
