Fish Factor: Sea cucumbers have been used in traditional Chinese medicine to help aid in many different health problems

As Alaska’s salmon season draws to a close, lots of fall fisheries are just getting underway from Ketchikan to the Bering Sea.

Southeast is one of Alaska’s busiest regions for fall fishing, especially for various kinds of shellfish. Nearly 400,000 pounds of sidestripe and pink shrimp are being hauled in by a few beam trawlers, and the season for spot shrimp opens October 1. Usually about half a million pounds of the popular big spots are hauled up in local pots over several months.

Dungeness crab fishing also will reopen in Southeast in October, and up to 200 Southeast divers will head down fo...