In a new book called “The Billion-Dollar Fish,” coming out this spring, fisheries biologist Kevin Bailey delves into the life history of the humble walleye pollock -- and he explains how it became the foundation for the extremely lucrative fishery we have today. But will it last?
In this segment of "The Exchange," Bailey discusses his book, and how to predict when a fishing boom will go bust.
After the bombing of Unalaska in 1942, the military relocated the entire civilian population of the Aleutian and Pribilof Islands. In many cases, people were given just a few hours to pack their belongings before being loaded on transport ships and sent off to camps in Southeast Alaska.
Anthropologist and archaeologist Charles M. Mobley recently published a book in conjunction with the National Park Service that explores the camps and their histories.
Just outside of Unalaska, there’s a shipping superhighway. Dozens of vessels, many foreign-flagged, pass by on their way to and from Asia every day, mostly unseen. That is, until they’re in trouble.
Captain Ed Page is the Executive Director of the Marine Exchange of Alaska, an non-profit organization that tracks vessels moving through the region. The Marine Exchange often the first to know when something goes wrong, and as a result it plays an important role in the region’s shipping safety net.
Longtime Unalaska resident Harriet Berikoff is skilled in many traditional art forms.
In this segment of The Exchange, Berikoff talks about her favorite projects and previews the cultural craft classes she's teaching at Unalaska's senior center this spring.
This year marks the 100th anniversary of the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge, which includes Unalaska and other Aleutian islands. The refuge is one of 500 in the country, created to preserve unique eocsystems and wildlife.
As the federal sequester looms, the Interior Department is anticipating big cuts for all refuges -- and even some closures. In this segment, refuge manager Steve Delehanty shares his plans for the Alaska Maritime National Wildlife Refuge.
Once a year, representatives gather at the Southwest Alaska Municipal Conference to discuss the region's major economic issues. Affordable energy was front and center at this year’s event, along with the region’s broadband plan, and transportation networks.
In this segment of The Exchange, Unalaska Mayor Shirley Marquardt discusses those issues, and more.
Birthday Cake by Athena Jones/Credit: Enticing Icing Facebook page
Professional cake-decorator Athena Jones discusses the process for making her edible artwork, and shares tips for home-bakers in this segment of The Exchange.
You can see more of Athena's cakes on her webpage, Enticing Icing.
Local chocolatier Sharon Svarny-Livingston is well-known in Unalaska for her handmade truffles. In this segment of The Exchange, Svarny-Livingston shares secrets of the trade.
For two terms, Representative Bob Herron served Bethel and many rural villages along the Kuskokwim River, but this year he’s back to being a freshman all over again because of redistricting.
He is now legislating on behalf of a new district, which includes Bethel, the Aleutians and the Pribilofs.
In this segment of The Exchange, Representative Herron talks about getting to know his new communities, balancing the needs of subsistence and commercial fishermen, and education reform for rural Alaska.
