Sullivan's Bycatch Bill Passes Out of Committee and Trawl Groups Take Issue With Section 2

Alaska Senator Dan Sullivan’s S.4938, the Bycatch Reduction Act, had just passed out of the Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation after markup when a statement of concern was released by a coalition of three trawl associations — At-Sea Processors Association (APA), Midwater Trawlers Cooperative (MTC) and United Catcher Boats (UCB). 

“We are not asking anyone to accept the status quo: we are always looking to raise the bar even further,” the group said in its September 16 statement...

Fisheries Issues Front and Center in Alaska's 2026 Governor and US Congressional Races

For the first time in recent memory, fisheries and seafood issues are taking center stage in Alaska's political discussions, just seven weeks ahead of the November midterms. Part of the reason is that two candidates on the ballot have spent a lifetime in commercial fishing; part of it is the ongoing controversy over trawl bycatch of salmon.

In the Bering Sea pollock fishery, unintentional salmon bycatch continues even as salmon returns to the rivers feeding the Bering Sea have dwindled to levels that won't support even subsistence...

Ninth Circuit Rejects Oceana's Gulf of Alaska Seafloor Habitat Challenge, Finding No Legal Standing

The US Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals has ruled against Oceana's challenge to federal management of seafloor habitats in the Gulf of Alaska, finding the conservation group lacked the legal standing necessary to pursue its claims.

In a ruling issued last Thursday in Anchorage, a three-judge panel found that Oceana, represented by Earthjustice, "failed to show that any injury to the organization's members is traceable to the challenged [NMFS management plan] amendments." As one example, the court rejected Oceana's contention that, if required to redo...

NOAA Boosts TED Compliance Across Gulf Shrimp Fishery

NOAA’s Gear Monitoring Team is stepping up efforts across the Gulf of America shrimp fishery to improve compliance with turtle excluder device (TED) requirements, helping fishermen maintain catch levels while reducing interactions with sea turtles and other large marine animals.

Funded through the Deepwater Horizon Open Ocean Trustee Implementation Group, the work builds on existing sea turtle restoration and monitoring projects already underway in the region. The focus is both practical and educational: ensuring TEDs are installed and used correctly so shrimp can pass through nets...

NZ Bottom Trawl Footprint Remains Small

New data shows New Zealand's trawl footprint continues to cover only a tiny fraction of the country's waters, Oceans and Fisheries Minister Shane Jones says.

"The analysis, published on the Ministry for Primary Industries' website, shows the trawled area within New Zealand's territorial sea and Exclusive Economic Zone is concentrated in specific fishing grounds. It represented only 1.7 per cent of the total area in the 2024/25 fishing year, with most of that area previously...

"I know the topic of bottom trawling provokes strong reactions from...

Alaska’s Gubernatorial Candidates Focus on Trawl Behavior While Trawl Allies Fire Back in Radio Ads

The governor’s race in Alaska to replace termed-out Republican Gov. Mike Dunleavy now includes 18 candidates, many of whom have found a common criticism against the mostly Seattle-based fleet of groundfish trawlers and their bycatch of salmon, crab, and other non-targeted species. 

Despite the primacy of the seafood industry in Alaska's economy, most political candidates have been less than up to date on the intricacies of fisheries management or policies. Mary Peltola’s campaign for Don Young’s House seat changed all that when...

BC Groundfish Trawl Fishery Receives Marine Stewardship Council Certification 

Last Friday, the Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) announced that the  British Columbia Groundfish Trawl fishery has achieved certification as a fishery that is sustainably fished.  

The fishery, which includes 28 vessels using both mid-water and bottom trawl gear targets hake, pollock, rockfish, cod, rockfish, and flatfish (like sole and flounder.) It has undertaken a series of transformative improvements including one of the most comprehensive stock management and quota allocation programs, and the precedent-setting Pacific Groundfish Trawl Habitat Conservation Agreement which addresses concerns about...

Spain Adds Fishing Days to Mediterranean Trawling Fleet to Guarantee its Activity Until End of Year

The Ministry of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food has today authorized an additional 7,339 fishing days for this year 2025 for the Mediterranean trawling fleet, an average of 13 more fishing days for each vessel, intended to complete the availability of vessels subject to fishing effort limitations.

The Minister of Agriculture, Fisheries and Food, Luis Planas, emphasized that the objective of extending the fishing season is to ensure the activity of Mediterranean fishing vessels until the end of the year, allowing them to fish during...

Center for Biological Diversity Wins Appeal to Uphold NMFS Rule for TEDs in Shrimp Trawls

A federal appeals court has affirmed a lower court ruling upholding a 2019 National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) rule requiring skimmer trawl shrimp vessels 40 feet and longer to use turtle excluder devices (TEDs), according to a press release issued by the Center for Biological Diversity.

The unanimous Aug. 28 decision by the 5th US Circuit Court of Appeals found that NMFS provided a rational, evidence-backed explanation for the rule's requirements, citing federal observer data and post-interaction mortality studies...

Sen. Sullivan Introduces Updated Bycatch Bill with Alaska Stakeholder Backing

US Sen. Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) has introduced an updated version of his bycatch legislation, aiming to strengthen oversight of trawl fisheries, reduce seafloor impacts and improve transparency in federal fishery management.

The Bycatch Reduction Act, introduced this week, builds on Sullivan's earlier proposal and incorporates feedback from Alaska fishing and conservation groups. It also advances recommendations from the Alaska Salmon Task Force, established under legislation Sullivan sponsored that was signed into law in December 2022.

According to Sullivan's office, the bill would...

Global Squid Buyers Strongly Oppose Management Changes Being Considered in Chile and Peru

Potential amendments to recent laws in Chile and Peru that would increase fishing effort in the jumbo flying squid (JFS) fishery triggered strong opposition among conservation groups and buyers of the product.

The Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) Global Squid Supply Chain Roundtable (SR) expressed their concern publicly last week.

“As buyers committed to responsible sourcing and the sustainability of marine resources, we recognize the significant progress achieved in recent years thanks to the joint efforts of fisheries managers, research institutes, nongovernmental organizations...

Alaska Legislature Passes Bill Requiring Electronic Monitoring for Trawl Vessels in State Waters

Editor’s note: After publication of this story on May 18, the Alaska House passed the Senate version of HB 117. The bill now heads to Governor Mike Dunleavy for signature.

In the final days of the Alaska State Legislature’s regular session, an amendment introduced by Anchorage state Senator Bill Wielechowski that requires trawl vessels to turn on their electronic monitoring systems while operating in state waters, passed the Senate. It had already passed the House and is now on its way to Governor...

Alaska Board of Fish Is Silent on Mid-Water Bottom Contact But Proposes Joint Protocol With NPFMC

Four proposals addressing pelagic (mid-water) trawls brought before the Alaska Board of Fisheries were unanimously voted to “take no action.” 

Proposal 11, submitted by Linda Kozak, F/V Alaska Trojan, called for a closure of state waters west of 170 degrees West longitude for non-pelagic (bottom) trawls and pelagic (mid-water ) trawls. Proposals 163, 164, and 165 were submitted by the Alaska Healthy Habitat Alliance (AHHA), and called for a redefinition of pelagic trawls; new requirements for sensors...

New Bill in AK Senate Bans Trawls or Dredge Gear; Kodiak Whitefish Trawlers Oppose 

A new bill, SB161, introduced by Tok, AK Republican Mike Cronk, would ban the use of  “…any trawl or dredge fishing gear that makes substantial bottom contact with the seafloor while in use, as determined by the department, in the water of the state.” 

The bill also calls for a comprehensive study to assess the “…health of seafloor ecosystems and fish habitat in state water.” That study, to be done by the Alaska Department of Fish and Game, would be due by January 1, 2027...