Salmon Wars Executive Producer and Host Cody McLaughlin is joined by Alexus Kwachka, a 39-year veteran of catching ‘everything that swims, walks or crawls from the Russian border to Southeast Alaska’. In this episode, Cody and Alexus dive deep into this long career as a commercial fisherman, with experience with every species. gear type and fishery - from trawling around Kodiak to long lining in southeast, to trolling for salmon, and beyond.

Alexus is also a veteran of the regulatory process, and served for many years on advisory committees covering the . Cody and Alexus discuss the change Alexus has seen over his career from open access fisheries in the early days “when a man could get into the halibut fishery with 50 bucks, hard work and make a living” to the privatized IFQ fisheries that we see today. 

Main Topics Covered:

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  Salmon Conservation Challenges: Alexus gives his thoughts as a commercial fisherman on what factors are contributing to the decline of salmon.


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  Habitat Protection: Alexus calls out what he deems stream side habitat degradation along the Kenai peninsula.


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  Magnuson-Stevens Act: Alexus discusses at length his firsthand knowledge of the history of the Magnuson-Stevens Act, and the ramifications that it has had on the fisheries of Alaska as he has seen them.


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  Collective Action: The role of policy reforms, habitat preservation, and informed consumer choices in supporting salmon conservation.


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  Individual Involvement: How to advocate for salmon conservation through advisory committees, contacting elected officials, and supporting organizations like Salmon State.

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