This week, the state Board of Fisheries is considering four proposals by a local tribal government and an Alaska sportsmen’s group that could place sharp restrictions on, or even close down, Prince Williams Sound’s annual pollock trawl harvest.

In an interview, Dunleavy described Alaska as having an abundance of the natural resources that data firms are increasingly under fire for consuming in the Lower 48. 

Hilcorp has previously explored in the area in a partnership with Doyon, the Native-owned regional corporation for Interior Alaska. 

The Regulatory Commission of Alaska last week ruled on the broader rate increase requested by Chugach Electric Association.

The incident is sure to draw more scrutiny on the issue of bycatch — the industry term for the unintended harvest, typically of salmon or halibut, by boats targeting other species.

One company, Bluecrest, said it will need more support even after a state agency agreed to forgive some $7 million in loans; another company, HEX, says it needs the state to agree to a royalty reduction before it will drill a well.

Skippers in Prince William Sound and Kodiak say this year’s pink harvest is one of the worst they’ve ever seen. “I wake up every morning and I try to apply for a different job,” one said.

A year into the the crisis in Alaska’s $6 billion commercial fishing industry, there are some signs of recovery. But major threats persist, many of which fishermen feel powerless to affect.

As the world pivots toward lower-carbon energy sources in response to global warming, experts say some of the state’s hard-to-tap oil prospects are becoming less attractive.

The Biden administration wants to study whether those Japanese emissions could be captured, liquefied and shipped back to Alaska.