Friday, Senator Click Bishop (R-Fairbanks), introduced legislation to help locate missing persons in Alaska.
Senate Bill 63 would allow a court to grant a family member or friend – on a temporary and limited basis only – access to view bank and phone records if they have reason to believe a loved one has gone missing.
“Successfully finding a missing person requires quick action,” said Sen. Bishop. “This bill will give the friends and family of a missing person the tools to begin searching immediately and share the information with law enforcement, as necessary. I want to thank the Tanana Chiefs Conference, which brought this proposal forward and asked for my help. I immediately agreed because I am very alarmed by the high number of people who have gone missing, especially in the Fairbanks area. I will continue to do everything in my power to help.”
Wed, 12/23/2020 - 9:08am
High-value halibut is still declining in the North Pacific, but the 2020 surveys revealed just a 1 percent drop in the stock as the International Pacific Halibut Commission prepares to set harvest quotas for 2021 in January at its annual meeting. (Photo/Kelly Jordan Photography/Sitka Salmon Shares)
Going into 2021, salmon fishermen have some unanswered questions and at least a few promising forecasts to look forward to.
Following the trend of the last several years, the salmon forecast for the 2021 salmon season in Bristol Bay looks positive. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game is forecasting a total return of about 51 million sockeye salmon, with an inshore run of about 50 million. That’s about 6 percent better than the average for the last decade and 45 percent greater than the long-term average.