Yukon River Drainage Fisheries Association

What Yukon River Drainage Fisheries Association does

The Yukon River Drainage Fisheries Association (YRDFA) is a non-profit fisheries advocacy and conservation organization founded in 1990 and headquartered at 721 Depot Dr Suite 14 in Anchorage, Alaska. Its mission is to protect and promote wild fisheries and traditional cultures within the Yukon River Drainage, which it bills as the longest salmon migration in the world. The organization serves over 42 rural Alaskan villages along the river whose communities depend on salmon for food, income (commercial harvest), and cultural practice. YRDFA's core products are communication and coordination services rather than commercial technology: a quarterly Yukon Fisheries News newsletter published since 2002, weekly In-Season Salmon Management Teleconferences (June-August), an annual Yukon River Science Symposium, pre-season planning meetings, and a digital Resources library of articles, publications, and maps. These products function as convening and information-distribution platforms connecting fishers, Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G) and U.S. Fish & Wildlife Service (USFWS) managers, and researchers.

The business model is grant-funded non-profit operations. YRDFA does not sell products or services and is funded primarily through grants from government and research agencies, including the National Science Foundation, North Pacific Research Board, ADF&G, USFWS, and National Endowment for the Arts. The organization also facilitates distribution of federal salmon disaster relief funds to subsistence households (a $12.5M allocation for 2020/21). Membership, sponsorship, and donations provide supplemental support. Customer segmentation is vertical/geographic: a single concentrated segment of rural Yukon River communities, with no named enterprise or SMB logos and no pricing model. Strategic positioning centers on traditional ecological knowledge and a unified community voice in federal and state fisheries management, formalized through standing partnerships with USFWS (since 1990), ADF&G, the North Pacific Research Board, the Yukon River Panel (international US-Canada agreement), and the Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim Sustainable Salmon Initiative (AYKSSI).

Name

Yukon River Drainage Fisheries Association

Legal name

Yukon River Drainage Fisheries Association

Website

https://yukonsalmon.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

1990

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

YRDFA is a 1990-founded Alaska non-profit that advocates for wild Yukon River salmon and traditional cultures, serving 42+ rural villages with newsletters, weekly in-season teleconferences, and an annual science symposium.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Trapper Creek

HQ country

United States

HQ region

North America

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2C

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Others

Revenue model

1. Grant funding and disaster relief distribution: YRDFA operates as a non-profit organization funded primarily through grants from government agencies and research boards. The organization also facilitates distribution of federal salmon disaster relief funds to subsistence fishermen.

Distribution channels1 record

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

YRDFA is a non-profit membership association that advocates for the protection and promotion of wild salmon fisheries and traditional cultures within the Yukon River Drainage. Its core offerings center on facilitating communication, coordination, and information-sharing among 42+ rural Alaskan fishing villages, state and federal fishery managers (ADF&G, USFWS), and international partners, delivered through newsletters, weekly teleconferences, annual symposia, planning meetings, and a public resources library.

Product overview

The Yukon River Drainage Fisheries Association (YRDFA) is a non-profit fisheries advocacy and conservation organization, not a technology product company. YRDFA provides a suite of communication and information-sharing services focused on salmon conservation in the Yukon River drainage. The organization's primary offerings include the Yukon Fisheries News newsletter, In-Season Salmon Management Teleconferences for real-time fishery updates, the annual Yukon River Science Symposium for scientific exchange, Pre-Season Planning Meetings for seasonal preparation, and a digital Resources library containing articles, publications, and maps. These services function as communication and coordination tools rather than commercial software products or platforms.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Yukon Fisheries News Newsletter Seasonal newsletter publication providing updates on Yukon River salmon fisheries, management decisions, research findings, and community news for stakeholders along the Yukon River drainage, published quarterly since 2002.
• In-Season Salmon Management Teleconferences Weekly teleconferences held during the fishing season (June–August) enabling real-time communication between fishing communities, fishery managers, and stakeholders to discuss fishing conditions, salmon run assessments, and management strategies.
• Yukon River Science Symposium Annual scientific symposium bringing together Yukon River organizations, researchers, and managers to present and discuss fisheries science, research findings, and management approaches.
• Pre-Season Planning Meetings

Quantifiable outcome

• Longest salmon migration management organization in the world

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles3 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Partnerships

Twelve partnerships are on record, tiered core, minor and major.

• U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 1990Federal agency partner for Yukon River fisheries management; USFWS recognizes YRDFA as an outstanding partner; coordinates on emergency special actions and salmon management
• Alaska Department of Fish & Game (ADF&G)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerState agency partner providing fisheries management updates, salmon run assessments, and in-season management information; co-hosts teleconferences with YRDFA
• North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFederal council managing Bering Sea fisheries; YRDFA advocates on salmon bycatch issues and participates in meetings regarding Yukon Area regulations
• Yukon River PanelcoreStrategic or Co-development PartnerInternational panel overseeing Yukon River Salmon Agreement between US and Canada; YRDFA participates in panel meetings and Restoration and Enhancement Fund projects
• Gulf of Maine Research Institute (GMRI)minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerManages the Marine Resources Education Program (MREP); YRDFA promotes MREP workshops to help fishermen engage in federal fisheries management processes
• United States Geological Survey (USGS) - Alaska Science CenterminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on traditional place names project along the Koyukuk River; provides scientific expertise and research support
• Yukon-Koyukuk School DistrictminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerPartner in traditional knowledge and place names documentation project involving youth and Elders
• Koyukuk National Wildlife RefugeminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborates on traditional place names project and salmon conservation efforts in the Koyukuk River area
• Alaska Humanities ForumminorStrategic or Co-development PartnerFunding partner for traditional knowledge and place names documentation project
• Doyon, Ltd.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerAlaska Native corporation partner supporting traditional place names project
• Gana-A' Yoo, Ltd.minorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCorporate sponsor supporting traditional place names project
• Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim Sustainable Salmon Initiative (AYKSSI)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerCollaborative native-state-federal salmon research program working on Chinook Salmon Research Action Plan to understand salmon declines

Scale indicators2 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights4 records

Direct peers

• Alaska Marine Conservation Council: Alaska-based nonprofit dedicated to marine conservation and sustainable fisheries, serving as a direct comparison in mission, geographic focus, and advocacy model to YRDFA's work on Yukon River salmon.
• Pacific Coast Federation of Fishermen's Associations: Trade and advocacy organization for commercial fishing communities along the U.S. West Coast, operating with a similar purpose of representing fishing families in policy and management forums.
• Northwest Indian Fisheries Commission: Tribal fisheries management organization coordinating 20+ Western Washington tribes. Highly comparable to YRDFA as an Indigenous-led fisheries commission with co-management authority and federal/state partnerships.

Broad incumbents

• Trout Unlimited: National nonprofit focused on salmonid conservation, including salmon and steelhead. Comparable business model (membership, grants, advocacy) with a broader geographic scope than YRDFA.
• Pacific Salmon Commission: International body implementing the Pacific Salmon Treaty between the U.S. and Canada. YRDFA already participates in related panels, making this a comparable institutional counterpart for transboundary salmon management.

Emerging players

• Cook Inletkeeper: Alaska-based watershed conservation nonprofit protecting Cook Inlet and surrounding waters. Comparable in scale, region, and community-based conservation advocacy, though focused on different watersheds.
• SalmonState: Alaska-focused nonprofit advocating for wild salmon and sustainable fishing practices. Smaller and more campaign-oriented than YRDFA, but with significant overlap in mission and Alaska constituency.
• Sitka Conservation Society: Alaska-based conservation nonprofit focused on Tongass National Forest and Southeast Alaska fisheries. Comparable in operating model and small-staff nonprofit approach to natural resource advocacy in Alaska.

Regional players

• Tanana Chiefs Conference: Alaska Native tribal consortium representing 42 villages in Interior Alaska. Operates in the same Yukon River region as YRDFA with overlapping constituent communities and complementary advocacy roles.
• Association of Village Council Presidents: Alaska Native tribal consortium serving 56 tribes in the Yukon-Kuskokwim Delta. YRDFA's core constituent communities overlap significantly with AVCP's service area, with both representing rural Yup'ik fishing villages.

Market position

Strengths4 records

Weaknesses4 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks5 records

Key highlights6 records

Customer concentration

• YouTubeyoutube.com/@yukonriverdrainagefisherie2017
• Facebookfacebook.com/YRDFAak
• LinkedInlinkedin.com/company/yukon-river-drainage-fisheries-association
• Instagraminstagram.com/yukonrdfa

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles5 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

Funding detail is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

M&A

Investments

M&A and investment is available on the Subscription and Enterprise plan.Contact sales →

Frequently asked questions about Yukon River Drainage Fisheries Association