US: Big fight looms at Board of Fish meeting over Prince William Sound trawl bycatch

Published 2024년 12월 15일

Tridge summary

The article highlights a dispute in Alaska's Prince William Sound over bycatch in the pollock fishery, with local tribal governments, sportsmen’s groups, and conservationists proposing restrictions or a complete ban due to the unintentionally captured king salmon and rockfish. These proposals have drawn support from various allies, including SalmonState, tourism businesses, and the public, but face opposition from the Dunleavy administration and the fishing industry. The industry argues that the restrictions could negatively affect their income and sustainability, and that limiting trawl harvests could potentially harm pollock populations. The state Board of Fisheries is set to discuss these proposals from Dec. 14 to Dec. 16.

Disclaimer:The above summary was generated by Tridge's proprietary AI model for informational purposes.

Original content

For years, conservationists, tribes and fishermen have feuded over bycatch of salmon in the huge pollock harvest in the remote Bering Sea off Alaska. Now, a new bycatch fight has erupted over a much smaller pollock fishery not far from urban Alaska, in the waters of Prince William Sound, east of Anchorage. This week, the state Board of Fisheries is considering four proposals by a local tribal government and an Alaska sportsmen’s group that could place sharp restrictions on, or even close down, Prince Williams Sound’s annual pollock trawl harvest. Supporters of the proposals cite state data that show the roughly 15 participating boats, most of which come from Kodiak Island, unintentionally scoop up some 900 king salmon and 900 rockfish each year in their wide-mouth trawl nets. And they say that subsistence harvests of those fish need protection. Only a few dozen people still live in the Prince William Sound village of Chenega, whose tribal government submitted three of the ...

Source: Adn