Trawl electronic monitoring bill clears Legislature

The Legislature has passed House Bill 117, which includes language authorizing Alaska's fish and game commissioner to require electronic monitoring for vessels operating in state trawl fisheries.

The bill now goes to Gov. Mike Dunleavy for his signature.

Sen. Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage, offered the language. He said in a recent Facebook post that electronic monitoring will "allow the state to better manage our fisheries through better bycatch data, monitoring compliance, and catch and discard information."

The bill includes provisions meant to limit impacts to trawlers. For example, the bill says vessel owners won't be required to "purchase or install electronic monitoring equipment beyond what is already required" for vessels in federally managed fisheries.

Juneau watch

Sen. Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage, says he added an amendment for the state fish and game commissioner to "institute and oversee an electronic monitoring system for trawl vessels that participate in state fisheries."

More in this Facebook post.

Standing up for dipnetters

State Sen. Bill Wielechowski, D-Anchorage, last week sent this letter urging the Department of Fish and Game to curtail Cook Inlet commercial fishing to free up more salmon for dipnetters.