Saint Paul

Area Description & History

St. Paul is located on the southern tip of St. Paul Island, the largest of the Pribilof Islands, located north of the Aleutians in the Bering Sea. The native community name is Tanaxˆ Amixˆ, and the native language spoken is Unangan Aleut. The traditional homeland of the Unangan Aleut is the Aleutian Islands and Siberia; however hunters traveled to the Pribilof Islands for seasonal hunting for centuries. In 1788, the Russian-American Company enslaved and relocated Aleut families from Siberia, Atka, and Unalaska, to hunt for fur seal and their decedents continue to live on St. Paul today.1 During World War II, the US government evacuated the Pribilof Islands and forced Unangax residents to Funter Bay on Admiralty Island as part of the emergency evacuation of residents from the Bering Sea. In 1983, Congress passed the Fur Seal Act Amendments, which ended government control of the seal harvest, and the St. Paul economy transitioned to commercial fisheries. The local commercial halibut fishery began in 1981 and a Trident Seafoods crab processing plant was built in 1989. The St. Paul economy relied heavily on the seafood processing industry, and the plant closed for the first time in history October 2022 due to collapses in the Bering Sea snow crab and Bristol Bay red king crab fisheries. Soon after, St. Paul’s City Council declared a cultural, economic and social emergency.2

St. Paul was included under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act (ANCSA), has a federally recognized Tribal entity, and the traditional government is the Aleut Community of St. Paul Island. Native associations and corporations include the Aleut Corporation, Aleutian Pribilof Islands Association, and Tanadgusix Corporation which manages land and owns several companies that provide services. St. Paul is located within Pacific Halibut Fishery Regulatory Area 4C, Federal Statistical and Reporting Area 513, and the Bering Sea Sablefish Regulatory Area. Central Bering Sea Fishermen’s Association (CBSFA) is the management organization for St. Paul Island under the Western Alaska Community Development Quota Program.

Infrastructure & Transportation

St. Paul is accessible by air and water, and has scheduled commercial flights. There is a State-owned gravel runway that is 6,500 feet, as well as a breakwater, with 700 feet of dock space. Most freight arrives by barge with approximately six cargo ships arriving from Seattle each year. Water is supplied by wells and an aquifer, and is piped to all households. There is a house shortage on St. Paul which has been identified as a vulnerability.3 In 2021, St. Paul constructed a Vessel Repair and Marine Facility to provide space for vessel building and maintenance for St. Paul fishermen, local entrepreneurs, and small business start-ups. (ibid) There is one local health clinic that provides health services to residents. With the closures of Bering Sea snow crab fisheries in October and Bristol Bay king crab fishery closures, budgetary cuts threaten medical services.4

There is one school in St. Paul with a reported enrollment of 52 students in 2024. This number is up by 4 since last year. School enrollment remains a concern, as the only other school in the Pribilof Islands (located on St. George Island) closed in 2018.

Demographics

It is important to note that national Census efforts may not accurately reflect St. Paul demographic given the influx of temporary seafood industry workers. Additional references were examined to more accurately describe St. Paul’s resident population.5678 According to these sources, St. Paul’s population is predominantly Alaska Native, with 84% of residents identifying as American Indian or Alaska Native. The population has declined in recent years and is under transition given the recent commercial fisheries closures.

Demographics
Population 352
Population in group housing 37
Median household income $83,214
Housing units 121
Percentages
Male 73.6%
Female 26.4%
White 10.9%
American Indian or Alaska Native 78.5%
Black or African American 1.7%
Asian 0.9%
Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander 0.0%
Hispanic or Latino 0.0%
Below poverty line 27.8%
High school diploma or higher 95.2%
Population under 5 5.2%
Population over 18 76.8%
Population over 65 15.2%
Source: US Census Bureau American Community Survey 5-year estimates (2018-2022)
Population and group housing estimates sourced from Alaska Department of Labor, 2023

Current Economy

St. Paul describes their economic vision as An Unangan community of healthy, resilient people working together to sustain a robust ocean based economy and identified six goals: 1) Support, protect, and create new fisheries opportunities; 2) Cultivate marine resources to enhance existing natural resources and create new export opportunities for St. Paul; 3) Develop the Bering Sea Research Center into a leading mariculture, climate change, and coastal resilience research center; 4) Grow St. Paul Island into a culturally & ecologically unique tourism destination; 5) Advance St. Paul Island’s status as a gateway to the Arctic, while highlighting regional research capabilities including infrastructure, expertise, capacity, and the workforce to support an overall mission of improving and understanding and response within the Bering Sea and Arctic region; and 6) Strengthen infrastructure and improve quality of life to create a healthy foundation for residents and businesses to thrive and stay.9

Fishing has historically been a major economic driver on St. Paul until the recent collapse of crab fisheries. The federally controlled fur seal industry dominated the economy at St. Paul until 1985. The economy transitioned to servicing commercial fisheries, and the city is the home port for the Central Bering Sea fishing fleet. There is a small commercial halibut fishery that uses tenders to transport its catch to Unalaska/Dutch Harbor for processing since the plant closure. Ecotourism, reindeer harvesting and local government jobs provide additional sources of income. The 2022 collapse in Bering Sea crab and subsequent fisheries closures dramatically affected the St. Paul. Government (including Tribal, state, and federal) is the largest employment category on Island. A 2023 community survey found 36% of residents had experienced some difficulty finding a job in the last 5 years.10 High food and fuel costs are priority concerns for the community and a recent Food Security Assessment stated 63% of St. Paul residents purchase some of their food online, and 97% identified costs as a barrier to purchasing healthy foods.11

St. Paul continues to be proactive in exploring economic opportunities for the community including the feasibility of a salmon hatchery on St. Paul, and the economic potential of the local reindeer population. In 2020, the St. Paul Island Visitor Development Study was completed, and the St. Paul Island Tour program restarted in 2022 after a Covid-19 required pause in operations. In 2024, Iḷisaġvik College announced plans to create a satellite campus on St. Paul Island to offer education and training opportunities and classes to St. Paul residents.

In 2023, St. Paul levied a 2-3.5% (depending on species) raw fish tax, generating $524,888. This is a steep decline (84.3%) from the $3,347,430 in raw fish taxes collected in 2022. With the loss of associated taxes from seafood processing, St. Paul’s municipal budget has been severely impacted. In 2024, the City Council passed three ordinances proposing new taxes on alcohol, marijuana and tobacco products, rental of vehicles for non-residents, and long-term room rentals to compensate for the loss in fisheries-related tax.12

In 2022, the American Community Survey 5 estimated the median household income in St. Paul to be $83,214, slightly lower than the Alaska statewide median income ($86,370). With the closures of Bering Sea snow crab and Bristol Bay king crab fisheries, St. Paul’s economy, which is 90% dependent on snow crab is facing an estimated $2.7 million downturn.

Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptive Capacity

Exposure to Biophysical Effects of Climate Change

The Bering Sea has experienced warmer temperatures, increased erosion loss of sea ice, changes in precipitation, more frequent storms, flooding, and higher storm surges.13 These changes affect health, livability, food and economic security, and the ecology of the area.

Sand dune erosion, road damage, and vulnerable protected areas have been reported, directly affecting wildlife populations, subsistence practices, and traditional and cultural ways of life14. Climate change is expected to drive increased temperatures and precipitation and more frequent and intense storm events. Reductions in seasonal shore fast ice is increasing St. Paul’s vulnerability to storms and subsequent erosion. Marine safety concerns are on the rise as people must travel farther across open ocean to fish. Ice free waters are leading to significant increases in marine traffic and associated marine plastics and debris. Activities such as vessel traffic, energy development, mining and fuel extraction, tourism, aquaculture and mariculture, and military and national security interests are directly affecting St. Paul in many ways. Given St. Paul’s high reliance on commercial and subsistence fisheries, the community is vulnerable to climate-driven disruptions.1516

Adaptive capacity in St. Paul is limited due to its remote location and vulnerable infrastructure. Rates of poverty and other indicators of vulnerability contribute to St. Paul’s limited adaptive capacity. The FEMA National Risk Index identified that the Pribilof’s has having very low levels of community resilience.17 As St. Paul residents experience increased frequency of climate-driven biophysical changes, their ability to adapt may be limited.

Dependence on Fisheries Affected by Climate Change

The city of St. Paul has been highly engaged in commercial fisheries in primarily in crab, groundfish, and halibut. The recent climate-driven collapse in crab fisheries, and subsequent fisheries closures deeply impacted St, Paul’s economy. The community is in transition and actively seeking viable economic alternatives. As the recent crab fisheries closures indicate, St. Paul is substantially dependent on fisheries resources affected by climate change. Island residents are highly engaged in subsistence fishing and continue to fish for halibut for commercial and subsistence purposes; however data suggests that subsistence halibut may be on the decline as well. In 2022, St. Paul reported 23 SHARC permits harvesting an estimated 375 pounds or 5 whole halibut. This shows a decline from previous years although available data is inconsistent.

Subsistence salmon permit data is confidential due to confidentiality concerns. As species compositions and distributions change due to warming oceans and acidification, they will likely continue to impact the community of St. Paul.

Local Adaptive Capacity

Adaptive capacity in St. Paul is limited due to its remote location and vulnerable infrastructure. Rates of poverty and other indicators of vulnerability contribute to St. Paul’s limited adaptive capacity. The FEMA National Risk Index identified that the Pribilof’s has having very low levels of community resilience.18 As St. Paul residents experience increased frequency of climate-driven biophysical changes, their ability to adapt may be limited.

Social Indicators for Fishing Communities*
Labor Force LOW
Housing Characteristics MED-HIGH
Poverty MED
Population Composition MED-HIGH
Personal Disruption MED-HIGH
*Source: NOAA Fisheries Office of Science and Technology. 2019. NOAA Fisheries Community Social Vulnerability Indicators (CSVIs). Version 3 (Last updated December 21, 2020). https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/national/socioeconomics/social-indicators-fishing-communities-0

Groundfish and Crab Harvesting Engagement

Since 2019, halibut has dominated commercial fisheries for St. Paul. Harvests are then tended to Unalaska/Dutch Harbor for processing. Prior to the collapse in Bering Sea snow crab and Bristol Bay red king crab fisheries, St. Paul was highly engaged in crab fisheries. The number of resident-owned vessels and permits in St. Paul has diminished below the threshold of three disallowing data reporting due to confidentiality concerns.

Halibut is the primary target fishery for St. Paul. 1.5 million pounds of halibut was harvested in St. Paul in 2019. Groundfish fisheries account for less than one percent of harvest. There is not a substantial amount of groundfish harvest activity in St. Paul to report. Due to confidentiality concerns, only select data are available.

Subsistence Harvesting Engagement

St. Paul residents continue to engage in subsistence harvest for a number of species including seals, sea lions, walrus, halibut and other fish, marine invertebrates, birds, bird eggs, plants, and berries.1920 Northern fur seals or Laaaqudan are an important cultural and subsistence resource, and used for food, clothing, and art.21 Subsistence harvest of fur seals in the Pribilof Islands was first regulated by the Fur Seal Act which was modified by NMFS in 2019. In 2000, the Aleut Community of St. Paul Tribal Government (ACSPI) entered into a co-management agreement with NMFS under Section 119 of the Marine Mammal Protection Act to provide for the conservation and co-management of laaqudan, qawan or Steller sea lions (Eumetopias jubatus), and isuĝin or harbor seals (Phoca vitulina).22

Island residents are highly engaged in subsistence fishing and continue to fish for halibut for commercial and subsistence purposes; however data suggests that subsistence halibut may be on the decline as well. In 2022, St. Paul reported 23 SHARC permits harvesting an estimated 375 pounds or 5 whole halibut. This shows a decline from previous years although available data is inconsistent.

Subsistence salmon permit data is confidential due to confidentiality concerns. As species compositions and distributions change due to warming oceans and acidification, they will likely continue to impact the community of St. Paul.

Groundfish Processing Engagement - LOW

There is not a substantial amount of groundfish processing activity in St. Paul to report. Due to confidentiality concerns, only select data are available

Crab Processing Engagement - FACILITIES CLOSED

The majority of processing activity in St. Paul is for crab (94% of landed revenue). Halibut accounts for 6% of landed revenue. In 2019, the island of St. Paul had six processing facilities, which landed 13.2 million pounds of crab with an associated value of $40.7 million. This marked an increase from the last two previous years; however compared to the previous five year average, there was an overall decreased in volume by 1.1 million pounds (8%) and increase of $39 million (4%) in landed ex-vessel value. After hitting a peak in 2012 of 31.5 million pounds and $73 million landed revenue, crab processing began a steady decline with a sharp uptake in 2019.

The number of landing permits in St. Paul increased slightly since 2018 from 58 to 64 (up 10%), while the number of permit holders increased from 48 to 52 (up 8%). Compared to the previous five year average, the number of permits remained steady while permit holders fell by 1%.

  1. National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS). (2022). Final Environmental Impact Statement for Halibut Amendment 123: Appendix 1. U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA). https://media.fisheries.noaa.gov/2022-11/halibut-amd-123-feis-appendix1.pdf↩︎

  2. Nelson, M. (2022, November 8). St. Paul government declares emergency in attempt to get ahead of looming crab crash. KUCB. https://www.kucb.org/industry/2022-11-08/st-paul-government-declares-emergency-in-attempt-to-get-ahead-of-looming-crab-crash↩︎

  3. Aleut Community of St. Paul Island. (2023, December). St. Paul CEDS Public Review Draft: December 2023. Aleut Community of St. Paul Island. https://www.aleut.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/St-Paul-CEDS-Public-Review-Draft-Dec2023.pdf↩︎

  4. Nelson, M. (2023, January 19). Bering Sea crab crash jeopardizes St. Paul Island’s emergency medical services. KUCB. https://www.ktoo.org/2023/01/19/bering-sea-crab-crash-jeopardizes-st-paul-islands-emergency-medical-services/↩︎

  5. U.S. Census Bureau. (2020). Decennial Census of Population and Housing. PROFILE OF GENERAL POPULATION AND HOUSING CHARACTERISTICS. U.S. Department of Commerce. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov↩︎

  6. U.S. Census Bureau. (2023). American Community Survey 5-Year Estimates, 2018-2022. U.S. Department of Commerce. Retrieved from https://www.census.gov/data↩︎

  7. Alaska Department of Education & Early Development. (2023). District enrollment totals for Alaska public school districts. Retrieved from https://education.alaska.gov/data-center↩︎

  8. Aleut Community of St. Paul Island. (2023). St. Paul Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS): Public Review Draft. Retrieved from https://www.aleut.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/St-Paul-CEDS-Public-Review-Draft-Dec2023.pdf↩︎

  9. Aleut Community of St. Paul Island. (2023). St. Paul Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS): Public Review Draft [PDF]. Retrieved from https://www.aleut.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/St-Paul-CEDS-Public-Review-Draft-Dec2023.pdf↩︎

  10. Aleut Community of St. Paul Island. (2023). St. Paul Comprehensive Economic Development Strategy (CEDS): Public Review Draft [PDF]. Retrieved from https://www.aleut.com/wp-content/uploads/2023/12/St-Paul-CEDS-Public-Review-Draft-Dec2023.pdf↩︎

  11. Alaska Food Policy Council. (2023). Food security task force report: Final 2023.03.03. Alaska Food Policy Council. https://www.akfoodpolicycouncil.org/wp-content/uploads/2024/09/2023_Food_Security_Task_Force_Report_Final_2023.03.03.pdf↩︎

  12. City of Saint Paul. (2023, December 20). City proposes tax increases in 2024 due to 0% tax revenue from crab tax increase. https://stpaulak.com/2023/12/20/city-proposes-tax-increases-in-2024-due-to-0-tax-revenue-from-crabtax-increase/↩︎

  13. Tran, J., Divine, L. M., & Heffner, L. R. (2021). “What are you going to do, protest the wind?”: Community perceptions of emergent and worsening coastal erosion from the remote Bering Sea community of St. Paul, Alaska. Environmental Management, 67(1), 43-66.↩︎

  14. Tran, J., Divine, L. M., & Heffner, L. R. (2021). “What are you going to do, protest the wind?”: Community perceptions of emergent and worsening coastal erosion from the remote Bering Sea community of St. Paul, Alaska. Environmental Management, 67(1), 43-66.↩︎

  15. Himes-Cornell, A., & Kasperski, S. (2015). Assessing climate change vulnerability in Alaska’s fishing communities. Fisheries Research, 162, 1-11.↩︎

  16. Herman-Mercer, N. M., Laituri, M., Massey, M., Matkin, E., Toohey, R. C., Elder, K., ... & Mutter, E. (2019). Vulnerability of subsistence systems due to social and environmental change. Arctic, 72(3), 258-272.↩︎

  17. Federal Emergency Management Agency. (n.d.). National Risk Index: Map. FEMA. https://hazards.fema.gov/nri/map↩︎

  18. Federal Emergency Management Agency. (n.d.). National Risk Index: Map. FEMA. https://hazards.fema.gov/nri/map↩︎

  19. Fall, J. A., Braem, N. S., Brown, C. L., Hutchinson-Scarbrough, L. B., Koster, D. S., & Krieg, T. M. (2013). Continuity and change in subsistence harvests in five Bering Sea communities: Akutan, Emmonak, Savoonga, St. Paul, and Togiak. Deep sea research part II: topical studies in oceanography, 94, 274-291.↩︎

  20. Zavadil, P., et al. 2011. Bering Sea Project, Subsistence Harvest Monitoring Results for St. Paul Island, Alaska from 1999 to 2009.. Version 1.0. UCAR/NCAR - Earth Observing Laboratory. https://doi.org/10.5065/D6HX19PZ. Accessed 20 Mar 2024.↩︎

  21. L.M. Divine, P.I. Melovidov, A.P. Lestenkof, V. Padula, M. Malavansky Jr., E. R. Malavansky, D.A. Bristol Kushin, and H. Hellen. 2023 Subsistence harvest of juvenile laaqudan (northern fur seals, Callorhinus ursinus) on St. Paul Island, Alaska in 2022. Aleut Community of St. Paul Island, Tribal Government, Ecosystem Conservation Office. St. Paul Island, Pribilof Islands, Alaska. 13 pp.↩︎

  22. L.M. Divine, P.I. Melovidov, A.P. Lestenkof, V. Padula, M. Malavansky Jr., E. R. Malavansky, D.A. Bristol Kushin, and H. Hellen. 2023 Subsistence harvest of juvenile laaqudan (northern fur seals, Callorhinus ursinus) on St. Paul Island, Alaska in 2022. Aleut Community of St. Paul Island, Tribal Government, Ecosystem Conservation Office. St. Paul Island, Pribilof Islands, Alaska. 13 pp.↩︎