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.

What's behind the decline of Yukon Chinook?

Increased natural mortality associated with Bering Sea marine heatwaves is "an important driver" of the Yukon River Chinook salmon crash, a new study finds.

The study also "found no evidence that harvest of adult salmon or bycatch removals prior to spawning have been significant factors in population level declines of Yukon River Chinook," says this write-up from NOAA Fisheries.

'The question that needs to be asked'

Independent journalist Craig Medred today posted this remarkably cogent comment on his site:

When you look at the data, the pollock trawl fishery is among the cleanest damn fisheries in the state. Should the country sacrifice millions of tons of renewable, high-quality protein to save the comparatively small number of kings taken as bycatch in that fishery? That's the question that needs to be asked.

A trawler takes to task both Sullivan, Peltola

Here's his opinion piece on the Anchorage Daily News website.

Washington watch

U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, has introduced an updated version of bycatch legislation he offered last year.

"I've heard from countless Alaskans ... who are rightfully demanding direct action to reduce bycatch and gear contact with the seafloor," Sullivan says in a press release.

'Be cautious about demonizing'

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski yesterday addressed the Alaska Legislature. In her written remarks, she had the following to say regarding fisheries.

Our fisheries ... remain in crisis. When salmon runs collapse, it threatens the food security, culture and ways of life of so many Alaskans.

The reality is that these declines cannot be attributed to one factor alone. There is no silver bullet to solve this complex problem. But when faced with causes beyond our immediate control, like climate change, it is understandable why the discourse focuses on what we can control: bycatch.

Don't get me wrong, there is more we can do to reduce bycatch, and we should do it. An example is Sen. Sullivan's Bycatch Reduction and Research Act, which I am cosponsoring. But we should also be cautious about demonizing one sector of Alaska's fisheries at a time when we need to work together to find solutions.

Commercial fishing provides good jobs and is the economic backbone of dozens of coastal communities. And while it is easy and often appropriate to point fingers at Seattle, we have to remember that many Alaska towns and villages are suffering after losing their fleets and processing plants. Life isn't necessarily better without them.

We need sound science because that is the foundation of sound management. We need constructive dialogue that respects the needs of communities upriver while recognizing the benefits of industry. And we need to focus on what unites us so we can conserve and responsibly harvest one of our most precious, irreplaceable resources.

Juneau watch

Several bills of importance to the commercial fishing industry were introduced today in the Alaska Legislature. Here's a rundown.

Sen. Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak, filed Senate Bill 268 titled "An Act relating to minimum paid sick leave requirements for individuals employed in seafood processing."

Sen. Lyman Hoffman, D-Bethel, filed Senate Bill 269 titled "An Act restructuring the Board of Fisheries."

Rep. Sarah Vance, R-Homer, filed House Bill 356 titled "An Act relating to health and sanitary requirements and certain permits for commercial fishing vessels."

Rep. Neal Foster, D-Nome, filed House Bill 368 titled "An Act relating to meetings of the Board of Fisheries."

Rep. Kevin McCabe, R-Big Lake, filed House Joint Resolution 34 titled "Urging the United States Congress and federal fisheries managers to make changes to the federal Prohibited Species Donation program to reduce the waste of edible bycatch, increase vessel participation, and improve food security in the state."

Rep. Justin Ruffridge, R-Soldotna, filed House Joint Resolution 35 titled "Urging federal fisheries managers to reduce trawl bycatch, maintain existing bycatch limits, and strengthen enforcement; and supporting federal efforts aimed at reducing bycatch and benthic habitat contact."

Bycatch Reduction and Research Act introduced

Here's a press release from the Alaska congressional delegation.

Upcoming

Here are a few noteworthy events to mark on your calendar.

• The Alaska Bycatch Advisory Council will hold a public meeting via Zoom this Tuesday. The agenda includes some interesting items such as a presentation from Trident Seafoods on "innovation for bycatch mitigation."

• Pacific Marine Expo, the huge and popular Seattle trade show, is set for Nov. 20-22. Find all the details here.

• The inaugural Washington Fishermen's Convention is set for Dec. 4-8 in Westport. It looks to feature lots of worthwhile learning opportunities for commercial fishermen. Washington Sea Grant has more information.

• Registration is now open for the 2026 Alaska Young Fishermen's Summit set for Jan. 20-22 in Juneau. Here is more information.

Juneau watch

The House Special Committee on Fisheries is set to receive a presentation from the Alaska Bycatch Advisory Council.

The hearing begins at 10 a.m. Thursday.

A Kodiak trawl Chinook bycatch blowout

Here's the story from Nathaniel Herz and his Northern Journal.

A big new bycatch report

The U.S. Government Accountability Office today released a report titled Federal Fisheries Management: Efforts to Reduce and Monitor Unintentional Catch and Harm Need Better Tracking.

Peltola takes on trawlers

Alaska Democratic Congresswoman Mary Peltola, currently running for reelection, today introduced two bills to "restrict bottom trawling and reduce bycatch."

The Alaska Pollock Fishery Alliance issued this statement expressing disappointment in one of the bills.

Another MSC objection

We previously reported how the Alaska salmon fishery is up for Marine Stewardship Council recertification.

Now, another organization is objecting.

The Royal Society for the Protection of Birds, which describes itself as the UK's largest nature conservation charity, is raising concerns about possibly significant gillnet bycatch of seabirds, particularly the marbled murrelet.

Emergency petition on Chinook bycatch denied

Details in this news release from the National Marine Fisheries Service.

Albatross bycatch reported

In December, an endangered short-tailed albatross was taken by a longline fishing vessel in the Gulf of Alaska south of Unalaska Island, the National Marine Fisheries Service reports.

Both legs of the bird were banded.

"The Yamashina Institute in Japan confirmed the bird was banded at the Hatsunezaki colony, Torishima Island, on March 3, 2023," NMFS reports.

A federal biological opinion allows for six takes during a two-year period, leaving an allowance for five additional takes for all federal Alaska groundfish fisheries over the next year, the agency says.

"The carcass is being shipped to the University of Alaska Fairbanks for additional analysis," NMFS says.

Unalaska opposes salmon bycatch petition

In a letter to federal officials, Unalaska's mayor says the city and the fishing industry "face a dire situation" should an emergency petition be implemented to bar Chinook salmon bycatch in the Bering Sea pollock trawl fishery.

Shutting down Chinook bycatch

Tribal organizations have submitted an emergency petition to "institute a cap of zero on any further Chinook salmon bycatch in the Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands pollock trawl fishery."

The emergency regulation should stay in effect for 180 days, the petition says.

Juneau watch

The Alaska Legislature opened its new session today, and Rep. Andy Josephson, D-Anchorage, introduced a resolution opposing orca bycatch.

The international issue of bycatch

Bycatch certainly has been a hot topic of late in Alaska.

Alaska bycatch also is drawing attention from our neighbors in Canada.

In a report submitted ahead of the International Pacific Halibut Commission annual meeting in Anchorage, the province of British Columbia has this to say, in part:

The large trawl fisheries in Alaska experience high volumes of bycatch that impact many species that move between Canadian and U.S. waters. This includes over 157,500 salmon caught as bycatch in Alaskan fleets in 2023, of which over 35,500 were vulnerable Chinook salmon. Incomplete monitoring and Alaskan bycatch of halibut in trawl fisheries impact recruitment of juvenile halibut to the fishery as many halibut caught in industrial trawl nets do not survive release.