The Cook Inlet salmon fishery was once an economic engine for Kenai in Alaska, US.

But the fishing there is no longer lucrative. Many fishermen with deep ties to the inlet are retiring — or moving elsewhere.

Scientists haven’t been able to nail down one reason for the change in the run. And the fishery has become fraught with politics, as conflict between managers and user groups builds.

Meanwhile, business has dropped off in the inlet. Thirty years ago, an average salmon drift permit for the Cook Inlet fishery was worth over $200,000. Last year, it was worth just $25,000, according to the Alaska Commercial Fisheries Entry Commission.

Read more:

https://www.kdll.org/post/net-migration-young-commercial-fishermen-ship-out-cook-inlet#stream/0

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