Sitka
Area Description & History
The location of Sitka was settled by the Tlingit several thousand years ago, with the name deriving from the Tlingit Shee At’iká, meaning “People on the Outside of Shee (now Baranof Island).” A Russian expedition arrived in 1741 and by 1808, Sitka was the capital of Russian Alaska. Fur trading and fish canning were mainstays in the town’s growth. Sitka was the capital of the Alaska Territory until the government was transferred to Juneau in 1906. In 1878, Sitka became the site of one of the first canneries in Alaska, although the Sitka cannery closed after only two seasons of operation. During the early 1900s, gold mines flourished, and the city was incorporated in 1913. During World War II, the US Navy built an air base on Japonski Island with 30,000 military personnel. Sitka has approximately 1,800 seasonal workers each year: this annual peak in population is mostly driven by fisheries and tourism. The Tlingit people and other residents have historically used a wide variety of marine resources. Subsistence harvests continue to be vital to many, and salmon is an important resource economically and culturally. Sitka was included under the Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act and is recognized as a Native Village.1 Salmon, herring, groundfish, halibut, and dive fisheries are the main commercial fisheries residents participate in. Pacific cod and lingcod are also harvested in SE Alaska under state regulations. Demersal rockfish are caught as bycatch. A small directed fishery for flatfish (other than halibut) has also taken place, but effort has declined. Pacific halibut fisheries in SE Alaska are managed by the International Pacific Halibut Commission. Sitka is located in Pacific Halibut Fishery Regulatory Area 2C and Federal Statistical and Reporting Area 650.
Infrastructure & Transportation
Sitka is accessible by air and water and serviced twice daily with flights to Juneau and Seattle. There are several air taxis and air charters available as well. Sitka operates five small boat harbors with 1,350 slips. The harbors can handle vessels up to 300 feet. A boat launch, haul-out, boat repairs, and other services exist. The privately owned Old Sitka Dock is the only deep water moorage facility in Sitka capable of accommodating large vessels, including cruise ships that frequent the area.2 The state ferry services Sitka three times a week in the summer, less in the winter. Freight arrives by barge and cargo plane. Over the last several years, issues with the ferry system (State support and aging boats) coupled with the elimination of mixed passenger-freight Alaska Airlines planes have undermined freight transfer capacity for Sitka, along with other communities throughout Alaska. Water is drawn from a reservoir treated, stored, and piped to nearly all homes. There are two hospitals and coastguard medical facilities. Sitka has seven schools; enrollment has decreased by 10.2% since 2008, and 5.9% between 2019 and 2020,3 likely reflecting impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
Demographics
The population of Sitka has been declining and aging over the last decade. This is reflected in school enrollment numbers for the community, which have been steadily declining over time. The number of fisheries participants in the community has also decreased over this timeframe.3 At the same time, food prices in the community have increased substantially, over time and relative to a national reference point.4 The combination of these factors–declining fisheries participation, an aging demographic, and increasing food prices - is straining local food sharing networks in the community as there are fewer fishermen able to supply fish for community residents but an increasing demand for these fish.5
In 2020, per capita income in Sitka was estimated to be $41,082,5 and the median household income was estimated to be $81,708.45 This represents a 6.9% increase and a 15.5% increase in these measures respectively compared to 2018. However, the percentage of the population living below the poverty line has decreased by 2.6% since 2018.
| Demographics | |
| Population | 8,231 |
| Population in group housing | 378 |
| Median household income | $95,261 |
| Housing units | 4,138 |
| Percentages | |
| Male | 52.2% |
| Female | 47.8% |
| White | 62.3% |
| American Indian or Alaska Native | 9.4% |
| Black or African American | 0.7% |
| Asian | 7.9% |
| Native Hawaiian or Pacific Islander | 1.2% |
| Hispanic or Latino | 5.0% |
| Below poverty line | 6.9% |
| High school diploma or higher | 95.2% |
| Population under 5 | 4.7% |
| Population over 18 | 79.8% |
| Population over 65 | 16.2% |
| 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
The economy of Sitka is diversified with commercial fishing and processing, tourism, government, healthcare, retail, and transportation. The seafood industry is a major employer. Community leaders reported that Sitka’s economy primarily relies on natural resource-based industries such as fishing, ecotourism (e.g. whale watching, kayaking), and sport hunting and fishing. The waterways of Southeast Alaska are an important resource for the tourism industry and the lifestyle of local residents alike. In 2023, Sitka generated $1,574, 491 in total fishery related taxes (including shared and municipal).6 The community generated $29.57M in total tax revenue, including property, sales, fish, and other taxes. These revenues support basic city services such as education, sanitation, transportation, etc. and are important indicators of community health and wellbeing.
Climate Change Vulnerability and Adaptive Capacity
Exposure to Biophysical Effects of Climate Change
A community’s exposure to the biophysical effects of climate change, which include effects to the biological organisms and physical landscape surrounding them, aids in determining their vulnerability. Biophysical risks to the Gulf of Alaska as a whole include sea level rise, coastal erosion, extreme weather events, changes in precipitation (rates, timing, and snowpack), increasing landslides and avalanches, and increased storm severity. Similar to other areas of Alaska, southeast Alaska is already experiencing increasing temperatures and changes in precipitation patterns, including receiving less snow and more rain. Sitka in particular has a long climatological record in comparison to most other Alaskan communities, and scientists have found that temperatures have risen 1.56 degrees since 1827.6 Changes have also been observed in forest habitats, including declines of yellow cedar trees, and marine habitats, including ocean acidification and increased prevalence of invasive species. These impacts are currently and will continue to impact human health in various ways.7 The community’s hazard management plan (2010) outlines a series of risks–severe weather, wildland fire, flood/erosion, snow/avalanche–that (although not explicitly addressed in the HMP as such) will be exacerbated by climate change. These risks are already being felt in the community. In 2015, an intense atmospheric river event triggered a series of landslides, which took the lives of three residents and destroyed homes and property.
Dependence on Fisheries Affected by Climate Change
Reliance on fisheries resources which are being impacted by climate change can determine how vulnerable a community is to disruption from climate change. Sitka is highly engaged in harvesting and processing within the groundfish fishery. Fishermen in the community are also highly dependent on salmon (especially Chinook), as well as State groundfish and dive fisheries. Tourism and guided tours for recreational fishing are also a substantial industry in Sitka. In addition, Sitka residents are highly engaged in subsistence fishing of particular groundfish and crab species, including rockfish, greenling, lingcod and Dungeness crab. Halibut and salmon are also staple species that are widely utilized in the community. Given this, Sitka is overall highly dependent on fisheries resources that will be impacted by climate change. Therefore, as this community is impacted by a changing marine environment, their ability to fish for commercial, recreational, and subsistence purposes will be affected. Residents are highly concerned about impacts to several key species, including salmon, shellfish, eulachon, herring and halibut.8 In addition, shrimp fisheries were closed in 2021 due to poor population in the area, and restrictions on subsistence and recreational harvests of King salmon went into effect in 2022.910 The Southeast Alaska salmon troll fishery, in which hundreds of Sitka fishermen participate, has also been under threats of closure in recent years due to a lawsuit raising concerns over the potential impact of this fishery on the food supply of Southern resident killer whales, which reside largely in British Columbia, Washington, and Oregon.
Local Adaptive Capacity
Sitka has a low vulnerability ranking on all of the community social vulnerability indicators with the exception of housing characteristics. A moderate vulnerability ranking for housing characteristics reflect issues associated with limited, aging, and costly housing, as is prevalent throughout Alaska. It is important to consider that these social vulnerability indicators encompass the whole community and are not specific to the fishing fleet, which may have different vulnerability levels on any of these indicators. FEMA’s National Risk Index also rates Sitka as having very low community resilience,11 meaning they have a very low ability to adapt to changing conditions and withstand and recover rapidly from disruptions.
| Social Indicators for Fishing Communities* | |
| Labor Force | LOW |
| Housing Characteristics | MED |
| Poverty | LOW |
| Population Composition | LOW |
| Personal Disruption | LOW |
| *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 Harvesting Engagement - HIGH
Sitka was among the top ports in Alaska for the volume of groundfish harvested and the associated ex-vessel value in 2023. However, the top fishery by revenue for the community is salmon, accounting for 44% of ex-vessel revenues. In 2023, Sitka fisheries harvested 7.8 million whole pounds of groundfish with an associated value of $17.33 million. The disconnect between volume and values reflects seafood market issues in 2023 that led to steep price declines across species. Groundfish landing volumes have increased significantly in Sitka over the last two years relative to 2021 due to increasing landings of sablefish. Sitka residents largely participate in groundfish fisheries with longline vessels that target sablefish in State and federal waters. The former necessitates a State limited entry permit while the latter necessitates quota shares.
The number of groundfish vessels owned by Sitka residents has been relatively steady over the last three years, although the 2023 groundfish vessel count (110) represents a 43% decline over the peak in 2012 (of 192 vessels).
The total number of fishing vessels owned by residents in 2023 was 314. Community leaders noted that commercial fishing boats under 125 feet use Sitka as their base of operations during the fishing season. While the typical vessel ranges between 30 and 600 feet in length, there is a high number of small vessels less than 30 feet that use the Sitka port.
Crab Harvesting Engagement - N/A
There is not a substantial amount of crab harvesting activity in Sitka to report.
Due to confidentiality concerns, only select data are available.
Subsistence Harvesting Engagement
The community of Sitka is highly engaged in subsistence fishing within the groundfish and crab fisheries, particularly for rockfish, greenling, lingcod, and Dungeness crab, which are the most widely utilized species from these fisheries. The community overall harvested approximately 22.42 pounds of groundfish per capita in 2013. This represents a significant nutritional source for residents. In addition, the people of Sitka are highly engaged in subsistence harvests of halibut and salmon, according to Alaska Dept. of Fish and Game data. Their engagement with halibut has remained relatively constant in recent years, while salmon participation declined precipitously since 2013, from a peak of 1,234 permits returned in 2013 to a low of 252 in 2020.12 The most recent data in 2022 shows an increase in subsistence salmon participation and harvests in 2022 to 591 permits.13 Traditionally, salmon provided the foundation for almost all aspects of cultural life for the Tlingit and Haida peoples living in the region. Today, it continues to represent an important tribal cultural connection to their homeland and provides a valuable economic and nutritional resource for residents. Halibut is also a key subsistence resource for residents, however concern exists over impacts from climate change on this species’ population given that size-at-age has decreased significantly in recent years for this species.14
Recreational Fishing Engagement
Sitka is one of the four communities in Alaska that has been highly engaged in recreational fishing in all years 2004-2023 as well as highly engaged in commercial fishing (harvesting or processing), the others being Homer, Kodiak, and Seward. Sitka consistently ranked the fifth most highly engaged Alaska community in recreational fishing for most of the 2000s but recently overtook Ketchikan to rank fourth in 2022 and 2023 as a result of a decline in Ketchikan’s engagement score.
Groundfish Processing Engagement - HIGH
The majority of processing activity is for salmon (52.1%), although sablefish made up 27.8% of total processing revenue across the last five years. In 2023, three processing facilities in Sitka processed Pacific cod, eight processed rockfish, and five processed sablefish. Together they landed 7.2 million pounds, with an associated value of $18 million. This marks a decrease of 1.1 million pounds and $7.5 million over 2022.
Crab Processing Engagement - N/A
There is not a substantial amount of crab processing activity in Sitka to report.
Due to confidentiality concerns, only select data are available.
U.S. Congress. (1971). Alaska Native Claims Settlement Act of 1971, Pub. L. No. 92-203, 85 Stat. 688.↩︎
Celebrity Century Docks at Sitka, Alaska Deep Water Dock. (2012, September). Cruise Industry News. https://cruiseindustrynews.com/cruise-news/2012/09/celebrity-century-docks-at-sitka-alaska-deep-water-dock/↩︎
Szymkowiak, M., & Kasperski, S. (2021). Sustaining an Alaska coastal community: integrating place based well-being indicators and fisheries participation. Coastal Management, 49(1), 107-131.↩︎
Szymkowiak, M., & Kasperski, S. (2021). Sustaining an Alaska coastal community: integrating place based well-being indicators and fisheries participation. Coastal Management, 49(1), 107-131.↩︎
Szymkowiak, M., & Kasperski, S. (2021). Sustaining an Alaska coastal community: integrating place based well-being indicators and fisheries participation. Coastal Management, 49(1), 107-131.↩︎
Tax data from AK. Dept. of Revenue, Annual Reports 2008 2008-2021. Retr.’ 06/30/2022 from http://tax.alaska.gov/programs/sourcebook/index.aspx aspx; Dept. of Commerce AK Taxable Database, AK Division of Community & Regional Affairs. Retr.’10/2022 https://www.commerce.alaska.gov/dcra/dcrarepoext/Pages/AlaskaTaxableDatabase.aspx↩︎
Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. (n.d.). Climate Change Adaptation Plan. Retrieved from https://www.ccthita.org/services/community/environmental/documents/T&HClimateChangeAdaptationPlan.pdf↩︎
Wendler, G., Galloway, K., & Stuefer, M. (2016). On the climate and climate change of Sitka, Southeast Alaska. Theoretical and Applied Climatology Climatology, 126 (1), 27 27–34. https://doi.org/10.1007/s00704-015-1542-7↩︎
Vincent-Lang, D., Rabung, S., and Rutz, D. H OONAH SOUND SUBSISTENCE AND SPORT SHRIMP FISHERIES REMAIN CLOSED.(2021). Report #21 21-3259.Alaska Department of Fish & Game. https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/sf/EONR/index.cfm?ADFG=region.NR&Year=2022&NRID=3259↩︎
Alaska Department of Fish & Game. (2022, February 1). Sport Fishing Regulations For King Salmon In Southeast Alaska And The Petersburg/Wrangell Area For 2022. https://www.adfg.alaska.gov/sf/EONR/index.cfm?ADFG=region.NR&Year=2022&NRID=3285↩︎
Federal Emergency Management Agency. (n.d.). National Risk Index: Sitka City and Borough, Alaska. Retrieved November 13, 2024, from https://hazards.fema.gov/nri/report/viewer?dataLOD=Counties&dataIDs=C02013↩︎
Alaska Department of Fish and Game Division of Subsistence. 2011. Pacific Halibut Subsistence Data. Data compiled by Alaska Fisheries Information Network in Alaska Community Profiling Dataset.↩︎
Alaska Department of Fish and Game Division of Subsistence. 2021. Alaska Subsistence Fisheries Database. Data compiled by Alaska Fisheries Information Network in the Alaska Community Profiling Dataset.↩︎
Central Council of the Tlingit & Haida Indian Tribes of Alaska. (n.d.). Climate Change Adaptation Plan. Retrieved from https://www.ccthita.org/services/community/environmental/documents/T&HClimateChangeAdaptationPlan.pdf↩︎