Institute of Social and Economic Research, University of Alaska Anchorage
Abstract
Commercial
fishing
provides
social
and
economic
benefits
for
hundreds
of
communities
across
Alaska,
with
dozens
of
species
being
harvested
commercially.
The
state's
fisheries
are
complex,
with
the
species
mix,
vessels
and
gear,
environmental
conditions,
and
socioeconomic
circumstances
varying
widely
from
one
part
of
the
state
to
another.
And
while
the
majority
of
Alaska's
fisheries
continue
to
be
successfully
managed
for
sustainable
harvests,
fishing
communities
face
a
number
of
challenges,
including
changing
market
conditions,
volatile
catches
and
stock
dynamics,
changes
in
fishery
regulations,
redistribution
of
access
rights,
and
climate
change.North Pacific Research Board
