US: Alaska pollock fishery celebrates defeat of trawl ban in Prince William Sound

The Alaska Pollock Fishery Alliance (APFA) is celebrating the defeat of a trawling ban in Prince William Sound (PWS) after Alaska’s Board of Fisheries shot down the proposal. The PWS pollock trawl fishery is the only state-managed pollock trawl fishery in the U.S. state of Alaska, as the other pollock trawl fisheries are managed federally. At a recent board meeting, the state’s Board of Fisheries rejected proposals to close the PWS pollock and pelagic trawl fisheries after the industry pushed back. “This wasn’t a victory only for the trawl fishery,” Alaska Groundfish Data Bank Executive Director Julie Bonney said in a release. “It was a victory for every fishing family, crew member, and processor who depends on sustainable Alaska fisheries to keep our coastal communities alive. When Alaskans stick together, we are stronger; this meeting proved that.”Before the meeting, multiple groups advocating for fishermen pushed back on the trawling ban, especially given the difficult ...