The present scenario along the Yukon River is totally different. The scarcity of king salmon is hurting Alaskan fishermen. This year, a total ban on commercial fishing for king salmon on the river in Alaska has strained poor communities and stripped the prized Yukon fish off menus in the lower 48 states.
The cause of the weak runs, which began several years ago, remains unclear. But managers of the small king salmon fishery suspect changes in ocean conditions are mostly to blame, and they warn that it may be years before the salmon return to the Yukon River in large numbers.
Arthur Heckman, who manages a small store in the village of Pilot Station, says more and more people are asking him for credit. As the chief occupation of the people along Yukon River is fishing, the unprecedented restriction soar the cost of living. Many residents rely on a mix of part-time work and government aid.
It is told that this year, restrictions on fishing, combined with the high cost of gas and continuing societal shifts, kept many camps empty. High prices for heating fuel and limited fishing income left many lower-river residents in dire straits last winter and prompted shipments of food and other aid.
