The year 2025 turned out to be a rough ride for Alaska's fishing industry and the communities that depend on it for their livelihoods. From deep cuts to federal science funding to ongoing economic pressures, fishermen, processors, and coastal towns dealt with one challenge after another. Yet amid all the struggles, there were a few signs of recovery in certain stocks that offered some hope heading into the future.
Much of the uncertainty stemmed from decisions coming out of Washington, D.C., under the new Trump administration. Early in the year, the short-lived Department of Government Efficiency went after federal spending on science programs across the board. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration took a particularly hard hit. Critics tied to the administration, including those behind the Heritage Foundation's Project 2025 plan, had long argued that NOAA's work on weather, oceans, and fisheries fed into what they called the "climate change alarm industry" and hurt the country's prosperity.
As a result, the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, part of NOAA's National Marine Fisheries Service, saw serious reductions in both budget and staff. This center carries out most of the research that managers rely on to set safe harvest limits. The cuts raised alarms among those who make the decisions. During the North Pacific Fishery Management Council's December meeting, member Anne Vanderhoeven put it bluntly: “I guess now we’re getting to a point that I’m getting really concerned and almost freaked out about how much data that we’re potentially losing that we’re used to having.”
At the same time, the administration pushed for higher harvests. An executive order signed by the president on April 17 called for the industry to take more fish. That put managers in a tough spot—less scientific support but more pressure to increase catches. A federal government shutdown added to the chaos, forcing the council to lean on older data when setting 2026 limits for key species like Alaska pollock, the country's biggest commercial seafood by volume, along with other groundfish in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska.
Beyond the political and bureaucratic headaches, the industry kept wrestling with everyday economic realities. Markets stayed flooded with competition, costs continued to climb, some important fish populations remained down, and finding enough workers proved harder than ever. In fact, fewer people worked in commercial fishing in Alaska than at any point on record.
State lawmakers tried to step in with some help. A special legislative task force studied the problems and came up with ideas covering everything from better financing options to stronger marketing efforts, diversifying the industry, and building up the workforce. Those suggestions led to several bills. Two passed with full support from both parties during the 2025 session. One aimed to strengthen the Alaska Commercial Fishing and Agriculture Bank, but Governor Mike Dunleavy vetoed it. Lawmakers can take another crack at the issue in the next session.
The Dunleavy administration ran into its own setbacks on a couple of fishery-related initiatives. The governor pushed a bill to allow salmon farming in Alaska waters, an idea that most Alaskans strongly oppose. The proposal never gained traction and died quietly. Separately, the state kept fighting in court to take over federal subsistence management on parts of the Kuskokwim River, but judges ruled against it so far.
Not everything in 2025 was bad news. Some stocks showed welcome improvement. After a devastating crash that shut down the fishery for two straight years, Bering Sea snow crab numbers started coming back. Managers remained cautious, but the signs pointed toward possible limited openings down the road. One odd twist: scientists noticed a surge in hybrids between snow crabs and tanner crabs. For management purposes, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game decided to count those hybrids as snow crabs.
Salmon fishermen also caught a break compared to the dismal previous year. The statewide harvest came in much larger and brought in far more money. In Bristol Bay, sockeye salmon weren't as unusually small as the record tiny fish from the year before, and the actual run size beat forecasts. That meant better paydays for permit holders and crews. Unfortunately, the Yukon River continued its long slump with weak returns that kept harvests restricted.
Even with those brighter spots, threats kept building in the waters and rivers that support Alaska's fish. In northwestern parts of the state where permafrost is thawing rapidly, rivers started turning orange or red from metals leaching out of the ground. This "rusting rivers" problem creates acidic conditions similar to pollution from mining operations. Iron and other metals make the water toxic for fish at times. The issue grew serious enough that NOAA highlighted it in a full chapter of the 2025 Arctic Report Card released on December 16.
Another longstanding headache— invasive northern pike—took a worrying turn. These aggressive freshwater predators have been devouring young salmon and other native fish in Southcentral Alaska for years. They're so established in the Matanuska-Susitna Borough that complete removal isn't possible anymore. Biologists had worked hard to keep the Kenai Peninsula free of pike and thought they'd succeeded back in 2018. Then researchers learned the fish can survive short swims through the saltwater of Cook Inlet to reach new streams. Crews kept up the eradication efforts, and state biologists now believe the peninsula is once again pike-free.
Down in southeast Alaska, a different invasive species caused major concern. The Metlakatla Indian Community, located in the state's southernmost area, led the fight against European green crabs. These invaders, first spotted in Alaska waters in 2022 near Metlakatla, can wipe out native shellfish and disrupt entire ecosystems. What started with just a few empty shells exploded into a full-blown problem. In 2025, tribal workers trapped over 40,000 of the crabs as the population pushed steadily northward.
Workers like Hannah Scholosstein at the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute kept pushing to promote the state's catch despite all the obstacles. Operating out of Juneau surrounded by posters and brochures, staff looked for ways to boost demand and highlight the quality of wild Alaska seafood.
Looking back on 2025, Alaska's fishing families and coastal towns showed the kind of toughness they've always needed to survive in one of the country's most demanding industries. Political shifts, budget battles, invasive species, and changing environments all tested their resolve. A rebound in snow crab, stronger salmon returns in key areas, and ongoing efforts to tackle problems head-on gave reason to stay optimistic. But everyone knew the work was far from over, and the coming years would demand the same steady determination that has kept Alaska's fisheries going for generations.
