Washington watch

Alaska Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan, who is in a tough reelection fight, today celebrated passage of his Bycatch Reduction Act (S. 4938) out of the Senate Commerce Committee.

Sullivan, in a social media post, called it "the most comprehensive bycatch bill ever introduced in the Congress."

The legislation now heads to the Senate floor, he said.

Major trawl organizations are less than pleased with the bill and issued this joint press release.

Trawl bycatch has become a hot topic during this election season, with candidates in congressional and gubernatorial races all chiming in on the arcane topic.

Rep. Begich wants North Pacific Council revamp

Congressman Nick Begich, R-Alaska, has introduced a bill to restructure the North Pacific Fishery Management Council.

The Anchorage-based council makes recommendations for managing ocean fisheries off Alaska. Its 11 voting members come from Alaska, Washington and Oregon, and most members are representatives of government agencies or commercial fishing interests.

Begich's bill, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council Representation Enhancement Act of 2026, would guide Alaska's appointments to the council.

The legislation would "require that voting members include at least one representative each from recreational, small-scale commercial, rural subsistence, and urban subsistence user groups," says this press release from Begich's office.

Interesting reading

"Open ocean aquaculture isn't about replacing wild fisheries; it's about complementing them to help provide more American-raised seafood to American families," two congressmen write in The Hill.

Washington watch

Two Southern senators have introduced a bill requiring all seafood be "clearly labeled" with country of origin and whether it's wild-caught or farm-raised.

Here's a press release from U.S. Sen. Cindy Hyde-Smith, R-Mississippi.

Washington watch

Alaska Sen. Dan Sullivan, colleagues and seafood industry players are hailing Senate passage of a bill designed to combat purported illegal and unregulated foreign fishing that competes with U.S. seafood in the marketplace.

Washington watch

Two senators are questioning the Trump administration's withholding of $246 million in NOAA funding.

Support for Sea Grant

U.S. senators including Washington's Maria Cantwell and Alaska's Dan Sullivan are sponsoring legislation to reauthorize the National Sea Grant College Program. Here's a press release.

Washington watch

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, says she secured a pledge from Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick to "convene a meeting with Alaska seafood stakeholders on trade issues with Russia and ways the administration can help bolster the industry."

U.S. Rep. Nick Begich, R-Alaska, and colleagues have introduced legislation to reauthorize the Young Fishermen's Development Act.

Upcoming

Here are a couple of significant Outside events to watch.

• On June 4 in Washington, D.C., the House Natural Resources Subcommittee on Water, Wildlife and Fisheries will hold a hearing on "Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness." More details here.

• The North Pacific Fishery Management Council will meet June 5-10 in Newport, Oregon. The council, based in Anchorage, manages fisheries off Alaska and includes voting members from Alaska, Washington and Oregon.

Washington watch

Here are two notes of interest from the nation's capital.

• U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, and colleagues have introduced legislation to help seafood processors meet labor needs.

• U.S. Rep. Nick Begich, R-Alaska, is cosponsoring a bill to establish "a dedicated secretary of the Coast Guard, providing the service with the same level of leadership and representation as the Army, Navy and Air Force."

Bill would expand Farm Credit System for fishing

U.S. Sens. Angus King, of Maine, and Lisa Murkowski, of Alaska, are among sponsors of the legislation. More details in this press release.

Washington watch

A huge year-end funding bill includes $300 million in a section titled "fisheries disaster assistance."

The bill is meant to avert a government shutdown, but some GOP lawmakers and President-elect Trump don't like it.

Fish and the farm bill

Two top commercial fishing organizations like the new farm bill taking shape in Congress.

United Fishermen of Alaska

Seafood Harvesters of America

'Nothing is more critical'

Fishing and processing groups recently sent this letter to Congress urging adequate funding for federal fisheries surveys.

Speeding up disaster relief

Alaska's congressional delegation is sponsoring legislation to expedite federal aid following fishery disaster declarations.

Mary Peltola sworn in as Alaska's U.S. rep

Here's her congressional website.

Firing back at Russia

Amid all the trouble over Ukraine, Alaska members of Congress have introduced bills to ban Russian seafood imports.

Here's a press release from Rep. Don Young, and another from Sens. Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan.

Help urged for seafood processors

"Federal support to help seafood processors weather the pandemic is urgently needed — without it, our nation's entire seafood industry may falter," says this congressional letter to the Biden administration.

'Dangerous and completely unacceptable'

Here is remarkable congressional testimony from Stephanie Madsen, executive director of the At-sea Processors Association, describing the American fishing fleet's recent encounter with the Russian military in the Bering Sea.

$300 million for fisheries

The U.S. Senate last night passed a gigantic coronavirus economic rescue package that includes $300 million in assistance to "fishery participants."

Here's the actual language from the bill (H.R. 748). The language begins:

"The Secretary of Commerce is authorized to provide assistance to Tribal, subsistence, commercial, and charter fishery participants affected by the novel coronavirus (COVID-19), which may include direct relief payments."

The $2 trillion bill still needs House and presidential approval.