Salmon industry advocacy group SalmonState is calling on the Alaska State Board of Fisheries to limit or eliminate the Prince William Sound pollock pelagic trawl fishery – the only such fishery managed by the state.
The state board will consider four separate proposals that would either add further restrictions on the state-managed pollock fishery or eliminate it entirely at its annual meeting in Cordova, Alaska, taking place 10 to 16 December.
“The number of proposals and the diversity of proposal authors should serve as a clear message to the board that the issue of whether bottom trawling should be allowed in Prince William Sound is a high priority for Alaskans,” SalmonState Executive Director Tim Bristol said in a statement. “The board has an opportunity to lead on this issue; a lot of people will be watching to see what happens in Cordova.”
The Prince William Sound pollock pelagic trawl fishery has had an average ex-vessel value of roughly USD 1 million (EUR 951,888) annually in recent years, with about 15 vessels participating in the fishery. Current regulations limit bycatch to 5 percent of the total round weight of pollock harvested. According to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game (ADF&G), 96 percent of pollock landings had some salmon bycatch from 2021 to 2023.
ADF&G has officially opposed all four of the proposals highlighted by SalmonState that would further limit or end the pollock trawl fishery in its recommendations to the state board. The four proposals are also opposed by the Kodiak-based Alaska Whitefish Trawlers Association (AWTA), which claims its members rely on Prince William Sound as the first fishery of the year.
“Our coastal communities and fishing businesses need stability right now as they try to weather the storm and make it through these challenging times,” the association said in public comments on the proposals. “AWTA members rely on the PWS pollock fishery, and we ask the board to support our operations and not take actions that needlessly hurt our fishery and community.”
One of the proposals – submitted by the Alaska Outdoor Council – would ...
