Takeaways from AP’s report on Alaska’s growing fight over trawling and bycatch

Alaska's pollock fishery, the second-largest in the world, has faced growing contention over its trawling practices and bycatch of other marine life. The nets used to catch pollock often unintentionally capture salmon, leading to a seven-year ban on Chinook fishing in the Yukon River where many Alaska Native communities depend on salmon.

Scientists attribute the salmon declines primarily to warming waters and changing ocean conditions, but bycatch is a controllable factor that critics argue can still impact depleted runs. The pollock fishery has invested significantly in reducing bycatch, using devices like salmon excluders and sharing information about salmon concentrations with other vessels.

However, the debate extends to the design of the trawling gear itself, with pelagic trawls (midwater nets) potentially coming into contact with the seafloor, while bottom trawls are banned in certain areas to protect marine life. This issue has become a major factor in Alaska's elections, with at least 10 gubernatorial candidates and one U.S. Senate candidate taking positions critical of trawling or bycatch.