Undercurrent News is now featuring 'Fish Factor', a weekly column featuring the reporting and perspective of Alaska seafood journalist Laine Welch

This year marks the 30th year that the weekly Fish Factor column has appeared in newspapers across the US state of Alaska and nationally. Every year it features "picks and pans" for Alaska’s seafood industry - a no-holds-barred look back at some of the year’s best and worst fishing highlights, and my choice for the biggest fish story of the year. Here are the choices for 2020, in no particular order:

Best little known fish fact: Alaska’s commercial fisheries division also pays for the management of subsistence and personal use fisheries

Biggest fishing tragedy: The loss of five fishermen aboard the Scandies Rose that sank southwest of Kodiak

Biggest new business potential: Mariculture of seaweeds and shellfish

Ballsiest fish move: Fishermen in Quinhagak formed a cooperative of 70 harvesters to revitalize commercial salmon fishing in Kuskokwim Bay, including members from Goodnews Bay, Platinum and Eek. It’s the first fishery there since 2016 when the region’s "economic development" group abruptly pulled the plug on buying local fish 

Biggest fish challenge: Getting whaled. Many fishermen say they can lose up to 75% of their pricey sablefish catches when whales strip their lines

Best fish invention: Slinky pots – lightweight, collapsible, inexpensive fishing pots that prevent getting whaled. The new gear is especially beneficial for smaller boats that can’t accommodate the hydraulics and 300 rigid metal pots on deck

Biggest unexpected fish boost: As restaurants closed during the COVID-19 pandemic, more people turned to buy seafood to cook at home than ever before because of its health benefits

Best fish straight talker: State representative Louise Stutes, a Republican from Kodiak

Best fish knowledge builders: Alaska Sea Grant

Best fish feeder: Sea Share, with over 220 million fish servings to US food banks since 1994 and counting

Trickiest fishing conundrum: Balancing sea otters versus crab and other shellfish fisheries in Southeast Alaska

Saddest fish story: The loss of young fishermen Sig and Helen Decker of Wrangell in a car crash [...]