Alaska

Alaska’s snow crab season is back after 2-year pause, but battered industry faces uncertainty

Published

1 year ago

January 6, 2025

Alaska’s snow crab season is back after 2-year pause, but battered industry faces uncertainty

For two years in a row, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game canceled the snow crab season in the Bering Sea after biologists discovered an estimated 10 billion crabs had mysteriously disappeared — a 90% plunge in the population.

Now, fishermen are once again allowed to catch snow crabs — but they’re facing uncertainty as the species has only rebounded to a small fraction of what it once was. Meanwhile, some are still dealing with the consequences of the two-year pause.

“It’s been extremely difficult,” said commercial fisherman Gabriel Prout, who’s based on Kodiak Island. “There’s not a lot you can do. These boats are specifically designed to go out and catch crab, so we’re over $4 million in debt.”

Biologists blamed the rapid decline of snow crab on a 2018 climate-fueled heatwave. This “warming event” was initially thought of as a rare “lightning strike,” explained research biologist Ben Daly, but the “concern moving forward is that the predictions are suggesting higher frequency of lightning strikes in the future.”

Daly is now developing tracking devices to monitor snow crabs and identify healthy populations for sustainable harvesting.

“It helps us understand their movement patterns in response to environmental changes,” Daly said.

And it’s not just snow crabs that have been affected by warming waters. Other Alaskan species, like Pacific cod, king salmon and pollock have also experienced population decline. Between 2022 and 2023, Alaska’s seafood industry suffered a nearly $2 billion loss, according to NOAA.

That industry extends to fish markets and dinner tables thousands of miles from Alaska. In some places, prices of Alaskan seafood have shot up nearly 60% in just a few years, according to Expana, which monitors pricing across the seafood industry.

“What the customer has to be aware of, more of what you’ll be eating will be imported, more of what you’ll be eating will be less regulated, more of what you’ll be eating will be caught with destructive fishing gear,” said Kenny Belov, who owns a seafood company and restaurant in California’s Bay Area.

In Kodiak, commercial fishing pots have returned to the water this season after officials lifted the two-year ban. The moratorium helped populations, but the quota will only be about a tenth of what it was three seasons ago.

“It’s hard to even consider a plan B when fishing is in my blood. I’m a third-generation fisherman,” Prout said.

For now, it’s a modest lifeline for fishermen who find themselves drifting deeper into the unknown.

Jonathan Vigliotti

Jonathan Vigliotti is a CBS News correspondent based in Los Angeles. He previously served as a foreign correspondent for the network’s London bureau.

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Alaska

Polar bear undergoes root canal at Alaska Zoo

Published

1 hour ago

March 23, 2026

Press Room

Polar bear undergoes root canal at Alaska Zoo

ANCHORAGE, Alaska (InvestigateTV) — Staff at the Alaska Zoo performed a root canal on one of its polar bears after the bear broke a canine tooth.

Kova, 4, shares an enclosure with another polar bear named Cranbeary. The two have toys, treats and a large pool where Kova likes to take her morning swim.

Curator Sam Lavin noticed something was wrong when Kova’s behavior changed.

“Kova is a very interactive and busy bear and she just seemed kind of off. She was pawing at her mouth a little bit,” Lavin said.

Lavin suspected a tooth issue and asked Kova to open her mouth for a closer look.

“We could see that she had broken one of her canines and there’s any number of ways she could have done that,” Lavin said.

An X-ray confirmed the diagnosis. Zoo staff consulted with a veterinary specialist outside Alaska, sent the X-rays and received advice on how to proceed.

“We went with a local doctor to do the work,” Lavin said.

An endodontist who normally operates on humans was part of the large team that performed the root canal on the fully sedated 450-pound bear.

“Everybody knew ahead of time what their role was and what to do and where to be and it was so well planned out and everybody worked so well together,” Lavin said.

The procedure went smoothly.

“She feels so much better,” Lavin said.

The zoo said Kova quickly recovered and is back with her playmate Cranbeary.

Alaska

Alaska disability advocates praise progress and push for more at state Capitol

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13 hours ago

March 23, 2026

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Alaska

West Valley’s Jayden Miranda named Gatorade Alaska Boys Basketball Player of the Year

Published

1 day ago

March 22, 2026

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West Valley’s Jayden Miranda named Gatorade Alaska Boys Basketball Player of the Year

West Valley Wolfpack junior guard Jayden Miranda looks to pass the ball during a 56-38 loss to the Forest Wildcats from Ocala, Florida during the opening round of the Alaska Airlines Classic at West Anchorage High School on Thursday, Jan. 22, 2026. (Bill Roth / ADN)

Junior Jayden Miranda on Friday became the latest player from West Valley High School to be named Gatorade Alaska Boys Basketball Player of the Year.

“It feels good and it was definitely one of the goals that I had to check off my checklist,” he said. “I woke up, and I didn’t know. My coach told me, and it was just excitement in my heart. My heart was beating and I was just smiling.”

Miranda led the Wolfpack boys basketball team to a Mid Alaska Conference championship and the No. 1 seed at the 2026 ASAA 4A state tournament.

The 5-foot-11 guard also helped lead West Valley to a 22-4 record, and through 23 games, he averaged 14.7 points, 3.8 rebounds and 2.5 assists as well as shooting 51.8% from the floor and 39.7% from the perimeter.

“Miranda is a great kid on and off the court — gets good grades and never gets in trouble,” North Pole head coach Travis Church said in a statement. “Looking around 4A, I don’t see anyone who would measure up. He’s the best player on the best team in the state. It’s hard for me to imagine going with anyone else.”

Miranda is the second player from the program to receive the award. The first was two-time recipient Stewart Erhart, who was honored in back-to-back years from 2022-23.

The award acknowledges a student-athlete’s athletic achievement, and also recognizes outstanding academic excellence and exceptional character displayed on and off the court.

Miranda maintained a 3.36 GPA and volunteered locally with the Fairbanks Community Food Bank, donated time as a youth basketball coach and is a practiced artist who has also taken multiple cooking classes in high school.

He and the top-seeded Wolfpack fell short of advancing to the finals Friday after losing 59-52 to fifth-seeded South Anchorage.

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