Gov. Mike Dunleavy has vetoed $10 million in funding for the organization charged with marketing Alaska seafood — but may agree to the funding later.
On Friday, Dunleavy issued a line-item veto for the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute. The governor’s office said that he could seek the funding later if the institute submitted a more detailed plan for the funds.
“The Dunleavy administration has offered support of supplemental funding next session once ASMI has developed a comprehensive marketing plan,” said Jeff Turner, the governor’s communications director.
The funding could be included in a supplemental budget bill — every legislative session, Alaska governors propose these bills to cover unexpected needs and other expenses that weren’t included in the original budget.
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Alaska’s $6 billion seafood industry employs over 48,000 workers annually in the state, according to a report commissioned by the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute. The institute is a state agency that aims to increase the economic value of Alaskan seafood.
The veto comes at a time when Alaska’s fishing industry is in crisis, facing low consumer demand and steep competition from Russia, which harvests many of the same species as Alaska. For example, in 2023, the price paid to sockeye-salmon fishers delivering their catches was half of the 2022 price, according to the report.
Senate President Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak, described the condition of Alaska’s fishing industry as “pretty miserable.”
“I’ve been involved in the fishing industry since 1970 and it’s just the worst I have ever seen,” said Stevens, who is also one of six legislators who are nonvoting members of the institute’s board.
Last year, the institute received $5 million in funding from the state. Before then, they had not received any state general funds since June 2018. The institute relies mainly on federal and industry payments: This year, the institute is expected to receive $13 million in funds from the federal government, and $16.2 million from industry assessments.
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“The governor is always saying that we want to tell the world that we are open for business, but nothing says ‘we’re closed for business’ more than cutting these funds from ASMI,” said Stevens.
If the institute submits a detailed marketing plan for the vetoed funds, the governor could include funding in the state’s supplemental budget during the next legislative session, the governor’s office said. However, any potential funding would not be quickly available to the institute.
“Waiting doesn’t help at all,” said Stevens. “It’s a very short-sighted view of the industry. Now is the time to help it out, not to just delay things.”
According to ASMI’s executive director, Jeremy Woodrow, the institute’s main priorities lie in domestic markets. Multiple factors have influenced this focus. Among them: a strong dollar and weak yen has made Alaskan seafood less competitive in Japan, a key global market, said Woodrow.
Regarding the effect of the veto, Woodrow said: “We support the governor’s budget, one way or another.”
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Additionally, in 2022, President Joe Biden issued an executive order that prohibited Russian seafood imports. This executive order created a “hole” in the domestic seafood market that ASMI is looking to fill, according to Woodrow.
“Any updated marketing plan is going to include those priorities,” said Woodrow.
Tracy Welch, executive director of United Fishermen of Alaska, described the veto as a “missed opportunity” to support the state’s fishers, processors, and coastal communities.
“ASMI has operated on a shoestring budget for quite a few years, and so they do a lot with what they’re given, so I have confidence that they’ll do as best they can,” she said.
Despite her faith in the institute’s ability to “get creative” with the smaller budget, she emphasized the crisis that the seafood industry is currently facing. “The industry needs help now,” said Welch. “Not two years from now.”
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For now, Alaska’s seafood industry will need to wait until the next legislative session to know if the institute will receive additional funding from the state.
“Any funding that we can get to help bolster that mission today, as opposed to tomorrow, is a step in the right direction,” said Welch.
(Soldotna) – To allow anglers additional harvest opportunity of Kasilof River sockeye salmon, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G) is increasing the bag and possession limit for sockeye salmon, 16 inches or greater in length, to six fish per day and twelve fish in possession; however, no more than two salmon per day and two in possession may be coho salmon, in all portions of the Kasilof River open to salmon fishing. These provisions are effective 12:01 a.m. Friday, June 26 through 11:59 p.m. Thursday, December 31, 2026.
The biological escapement goal on the Kasilof River is 140,000-320,000 sockeye salmon. Through June 23, a total of 117,665 sockeye salmon have passed the Kasilof River sonar site. The current escapement of sockeye salmon into the Kasilof River is proceeding at a rate that is projected to exceed the biological escapement goal.
In addition to increasing the bag and possession limit for sockeye salmon, ADF&G issued emergency order 2-RS-1-32-26 expanding the area open to the personal use dip net fishery on the Kasilof River.
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For additional information, please contact the Soldotna ADF&G office at (907) 262-9368.
By Alaska Division of Forestry & Fire ProtectiononA White Mountain Crewmember feels for any remaining heat along the Rapeseed Fire (#275) outside of Delta Junction on June 24 2026. Photo/ Sam Porter
#222 Granite Fire– The Clackamas Crew joined the Southwest Type 1 Crew and TCC Squad A on the Granite Fire today. The fire is now 85% contained. A thermal detection drone was flown over the fire to identify any remaining heat. A Temporary Flight Restriction (TFR) is in place and will continue tomorrow, meaning aircraft and drones that are not supporting firefighting operations are prohibited from flying over or near the incident. Crews are also checking windrows for remaining heat. Windrows are rows of trees left standing to reduce wind erosion on farmland. Firefighters will pile and burn dead or downed trees, as well as hazard trees with burned roots.
#257 Barley 2 Fire– All personnel have been demobilized from the Barley 2 Fire after it was declared contained and controlled. The fire will remain in monitor status. This will be the last update for this fire unless significant changes occur.
#268 Moosehead Fire– A boat is transporting TCC Squad C to the Moosehead Fire, where they are gridding the interior and checking for any remaining heat.
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The White Mountain T2IA crew stand in an arc, gridding the fire, looking for any smoke or heat. Photo/ Sam Porter
#275 Rapeseed Fire- The Rapeseed Fire is 80% contained. The White Mountain Type 2 Initial Attack Crew is constructing sawline and cold trailing the fire’s edge to locate and extinguish any remaining heat. A Nodwell continues to provide an effective way to transport personnel, equipment, supplies, and water through the remote, sensitive terrain while supporting suppression efforts.
#223 Pogo and #226 Shaw Fires continue to be in monitor status.
Map of Delta Area Fires. Click to download or enlarge
‹ More Firefighters Heading to Ambler for Jade Fire
Categories: Active Wildland Fire, Alaska DNR – Division of Forestry & Fire Protection (DFFP)
Tags: #FireYear2026 #2026AKFIRESEASON, 2026 Alaska Fire Season, Delta, Granite Fire, Moosehead Fire, Pogo Fire, Rapeseed Fire, Shaw Fire
Picture it: an 800-mile engineering marvel traversing Alaska’s rugged wilderness. An immense zinc mine powering Northwest Alaska’s economy. World-class sustainable harvests feeding global markets with seafood.
The Trans Alaska Pipeline System, Red Dog mine, and the Alaska fishing industry: These massive ventures represent high-stakes investments in infrastructure and resources that have transformed Alaska into a powerhouse of global energy, minerals, and food. Today, we call these ventures inspired, but that label masks a fundamental nuance and common misconception: there is a distinction between the risky and the reckless.
That line between bold visionary and reckless gambler is usually written in ink only after the dust settles and the checks clear. Winners are often labeled as geniuses while thousands of leaders who made similar bets but went bust are ignored. When you see any winner in the marketplace, their strategy can look like a guaranteed blueprint for success. This is survivorship bias in action, obsessing over the front-runners while ignoring the graveyard of those who made the same choices. Recklessness is a classic leadership trap, in part, because it is very easy to mistake good luck for repeatable strategy. Our brains are wired to find patterns in chaos, even when they don’t exist, and when a gamble pays off, it is easy to invent a story to explain why it worked. This explains, in part, why high-risk behavior is often rebranded as “visionary” in the business world.
Understanding the mechanics of recklessness can help a leader spot the difference between a smart move and a predictable bad one. It is the contrast between a high-wire artist using a safety net and having practiced the route, versus one who just hopes they don’t fall. The first one is making calculated moves, and the second is wishing for the best.
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The White Mountain T2IA crew stand in an arc, gridding the fire, looking for any smoke or heat. Photo/ Sam Porter 100vw, 700px”/><figcaption class=)
Map of Delta Area Fires. Click to download or enlarge
