Alaska Wildlife Troopers say a body recovered from a beach near Egegik on July 11 has been confirmed to be Seth Whiteman of Eagle River. Whiteman, a 22-year-old crewmember on the Bristol Bay fishing vessel Sandman, was reported overboard on June 29. The Coast Guard searched the area with Alaska State Troopers for several hours by boat and helicopter, but suspended the search later that same night.

Bristol Bay’s sockeye are returning by the millions to their natal streams. But not all salmon find their way back home — some find new areas to spawn.

A Manokotak man faces murder charges after allegedly hitting another man in the head with a boat anchor, according to Alaska State Troopers.

Bristol Bay set netting used to be dominated by women. When the fishery's permit system started in the 70s, it had the highest rate of women permit holders in the state. But that's changed over the decades, and one researcher is digging into the decline and why it isn’t happening anywhere else. KDLG’s Jessie Sheldon reports.

Despite being known for having the world’s largest sockeye run, Bristol Bay is home to much more marine life than salmon—one of them being beluga whales. A recent study on the Bristol Bay belugas has revealed a complex mating system that may be keeping the species alive.

Silver Bay Seafoods announced it was partnering with former Bristol Bay competitor Northline Seafoods in April, just days after Northline’s CEO resigned. This sudden shift occurred just a few months before the start of the sockeye season, leaving fishermen feeling uneasy about Bristol Bay’s market diversity

For over 70 years, the Alaska Department of Fish and Game has used counting towers in Bristol Bay to track salmon escapement. That means techs hand count each fish that swims by. But new technology is on its way to the Bay. KDLG’s Jessie Sheldon visited a research site on the Wood River to learn what AI and drones could mean for the fishery.

On June 29 at 4:20pm, the US Coast Guard received a report of a man overboard from the F/V Sandman in the vicinity of Egegik Bay, about 40 miles southwest of Naknek. The Coast Guard searched the area with Alaska State Troopers for several hours by boat and helicopter. They say that the search was suspended at 11:36pm, pending the development of new information.

Hundreds of fishermen across Bristol Bay offload their catch at local processors in Dillingham—the main hub for the busy Nushagak district. But of all the ports across the bay, Dillingham’s holds something unique: for the past 12 years, the city has not enforced any raw fish sales tax whatsoever, missing out on millions of dollars. KDLG’s Ryan Berkoski sat down with Alice Ruby, the mayor of Dillingham, and Chris Maines, the city planner, to talk about what caused this tax hiatus and why it’s back now.

Anticipation is building in the Dillingham harbor as crews get their boats ready. Despite some concerns over processor consolidation and declining king runs, crews seem optimistic about the season’s high base prices and strong sockeye forecasts.