Jessie Sheldon
Fisheries ReportJessie Sheldon is a fisheries reporter for KDLG, which brings daily news reports throughout the summer to thousands of commercial fishermen in Bristol Bay. Previously, she worked as a Wilderness Research Fellow for the Society for Wilderness Stewardship in California’s Sierra Nevada, and has spent several summers working in Alaska, both on the water and in the recording studio. Jessie graduated from Colorado College with a degree in Environmental Science. She’s passionate about marine ecosystems, connection through storytelling, and all things fishy.
-
Bristol Bay sockeye salmon are returning en masse and making their way upstream to find a mate. But in order to spawn successfully, these fish undergo a complex and dramatic freshwater transformation. -
This summer, an unusual looking salmon tender is anchored in the Naknek-Kvichak District. The Aleutian Express is a historic, 3–masted schooner that came sailing up from Washington State for the Bristol Bay sockeye season. The vessel’s history extends back over a century, with many iterations of names, owners, and uses across Alaska and the west Coast. KDLG’s Jessie Sheldon has more. -
Bristol Bay’s commercial fishery puts thousands of people out on the water in small boats during the summer. And they all need somewhere to go to the bathroom. As KDLG’s Jessie Sheldon reports, poop can become a problem when dumped near shore and state officials are working to figure out just how crappy of a problem it is. -
Bristol Bay sockeye are breaking records for abundance, but shrinking in size and weight. This year, fishing crews and biologists report fish coming back bigger and older, but fisheries researchers say it's an anomaly from the decades-long trend of declining sockeye size. -
Apay’uq Moore is an acrylic painter and muralist based in Aleknagik. Her art portrays themes of salmon and community, and the people and landscapes of Bristol Bay. Her latest mural is 'Imagine Our Future’ located on Kanakanak Road in Dillingham. -
It’s our final show of the season, but the run isn’t done yet. Bay-wide, fleets hauled in another 726,000 fish on Thursday, for a season total of 36.9 million. Escapement is at 13.3 million total, and the run nears the forecast at just under 50.3 million. -
Yesterday, roughly 100 fishing vessels joined together at the mouth of the Naknek River in Bristol Bay to peacefully protest processors' announced sockeyes salmon price. -
Bristol Bay fishing crews outraged with this year’s base price protested by anchoring in the Naknek River entrance on Thursday. Crews are calling on Alaskan processors to reconsider this historic low base price and bring more price transparency to the fishery. -
KDLG reporters are on the water this morning, on a boat moving from crew to crew interviewing protesting fishermen. -
The Bristol Bay run is slowing down, but still had a strong harvest yesterday of 722,000 fish. Total harvest is now at 35.3 million, and total escapement is at 12.8 million. The total bay-wide run is estimated at 48.2 million fish.
