Anna Laffrey, Daily Northwestern Journalist Profile

Articles

Trump land sale plan draws protest in Sitka

1 week ago | juneauempire.com | Anna Laffrey

Sitka residents are mounting a strong response to a draft provision of the U.S. Senate Republicans’ budget reconciliation bill that would mandate the sale of roughly 2 to 3 million acres of federal public lands in 11 western states, including Alaska.
CSI project promotes herring fisheries

1 month ago | ketchikandailynews.com | Anna Laffrey

Alaska’s commercial herring fisheries are under evaluation for a Responsible Fishery Management eco-certification that could boost sales and harvest from statewide herring fisheries. The state-run Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute commissioned the independent RFM certification study for all commercial herring fisheries that occur in the Southeast Alaska, Prince William Sound, Kodiak, Dutch Harbor and Togiak areas.
New offshore regulations tangle Alaska anglers

1 month ago | ketchikandailynews.com | Anna Laffrey

New rules for Alaska resident sport fishermen in the federal waters of the Exclusive Economic Zone were the subject of a public Alaska Department of Fish and Game “preseason meeting” Wednesday night in Centennial Hall. For the first time, residents who are sport fishing this year in the EEZ must follow all nonresident seasons, bag and possession limits, annual limits and size limits. The EEZ is the offshore, federal waters between three nautical miles and 200 nautical miles from shore.
Student government convention in Sitka petitions for $1,000 BSA hike, inflation adjustments

2 months ago | juneauempire.com | Anna Laffrey

High schoolers from across Alaska reported to Sitka High School at 7:15 a.m. today for the second of a three-day conference of the Alaska Association of Student Governments.
ALASKA: Southeast king salmon harvest limit cut by 60,000 this year

2 months ago | savingseafood.org | Anna Laffrey

April 10, 2025 — The 2025 Southeast Alaska harvest limit for king salmon will be almost 40% less than last year, a drop of 60,000 fish. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game on April 1 announced an overall allocation of 130,800 treaty king salmon — fish that don’t originate in Alaska hatcheries — for all gear groups targeting kings in waters off Southeast Alaska and Yakutat.
Chinook harvest limits to be almost 40% lower than ‘24

2 months ago | juneauempire.com | Anna Laffrey

Southeast Alaska fishermen discovered last week that harvest limits for chinook salmon in 2025 will be almost 40% less than last year’s. The Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced an overall allocation of 130,800 treaty chinook salmon — fish that didn’t originate in Alaska hatcheries — for all gear groups targeting chinook in waters off Southeast Alaska and Yakutat in 2025.
Former The Galley Restaurant be leveled for new service for unhoused

Mar 12, 2025 | ketchikandailynews.com | Anna Laffrey

Twelve cots line the bright, clean, colorful interior of the building at 2334 Tongass Ave. that formerly housed The Galley Restaurant, and now serves as Ketchikan Indian Community’s overnight shelter for unhoused tribal citizens. Since January, the building has offered a safe, warm place for dozens of KIC tribal citizens to sleep, eat warm meals and connect with health care providers.
Ooligan harvest closed with exception

Mar 1, 2025 | ketchikandailynews.com | Anna Laffrey

Federally qualified subsistence users can take one five-gallon bucket of whole ooligan per household this spring from federal public waters of the Unuk River drainage using dip nets or cast nets, the U.S. Forest Service announced Monday. State-managed subsistence, personal use and commercial fisheries on ooligan will be closed in all state waters of District 1.
Kasaan to host culture camp

Mar 1, 2025 | ketchikandailynews.com | Anna Laffrey

Students and families across Prince of Wales Island will be traveling to Kasaan next week for the Dagwíi Gáwtlaas youth culture camp that’s scheduled to run from Monday through Friday. Meanwhile, community members are anticipating a house post raising on Saturday, March 8 inside the Organized Village of Kasaan’s Totem Trail Café. Kasaan on Saturday will welcome visitors from around the island and the region to raise Yaahl Gáats’aay, a house post that is representative of Raven clans.
Saxman lifts boil water notice

Feb 15, 2025 | ketchikandailynews.com | Anna Laffrey

Saxman city leaders announced on Thursday that a city-wide "boil water notice" was lifted almost one month after it went into effect on Jan. 14. During the water notice period that ended on Thursday, all Saxman residents were advised to boil tap water for two minutes before drinking or consuming it.