Juneau watch

The Senate Community and Regional Affairs Committee today held a hearing on Senate Bill 268 with the short title "Sick leave exemption: fish processors."

The Pacific Seafood Processors Association really likes this bill.

But the Alaska AFL-CIO doesn't, writing to the committee: "Just because someone works in a seafood processing plant does not mean their right to sick leave should be taken away."

Here's the sponsor statement for SB 268 from Sen. Gary Stevens, R-Kodiak.

More council news

Washington Gov. Bob Ferguson has nominated Jamie Goen for a second term on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council.

Here's the governor's nomination letter.

Pollock industry says it's won MSC recertification

Here's the press release.

'This letter clarifies what is permissible'

The National Marine Fisheries Service says it's OK for Gulf of Alaska processors to convert "prohibited species catch" into fishmeal and other low-value products for sale.

The agency explains in this letter to the North Pacific Fishery Management Council.

Sitka herring update No. 1

Spring is coming and the whales and sea lions are gathering. Click here.

Council nomination news

Gov. Mike Dunleavy has nominated Märit Carlson-Van Dort for a seat on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council.

Here's the governor's nomination letter.

New battles coming on hatcheries, trawling

The Alaska Board of Fisheries concludes its 2025-26 meeting cycle with a five-day session starting tomorrow in Anchorage on statewide finfish and supplemental issues.

Among the more notable issues, a trio of proposals (170, 171 and 172) would constrain pink and chum production from salmon hatcheries. Two of the proposals are from the Kenai River Sportfishing Association.

Another trio of proposals (163, 164 and 165) would appear to make life tougher for trawlers. The proposals are from an organization called the Alaska Healthy Habitat Alliance.

Proposal 163 would define all trawls operating in state waters as bottom contact gear. Proposal 164 would "establish bottom contact monitoring requirements for pelagic trawl gear."

The Alaska Whitefish Trawlers Association hates these trawl proposals, commenting in a letter to the board:

There seems to be an assumption that trawlers operating in the Gulf of Alaska and Prince William Sound regularly put their pelagic nets on the bottom. This is not accurate. The seafloor in the GOA and PWS are rocky, and our pelagic nets are relatively delicate. Contact with the bottom (or sunken shipwrecks) shreds our nets, requiring time-consuming and expensive repairs or replacement, and lost fishing time. On average a pelagic trawl net alone for our members costs $110,000, and we are not going to intentionally damage an expensive piece of gear.