Bycatch Reduction & Accountability

Bycatch occurs when fish or other marine life are caught but are not the target. In Alaska, bycatch accountability is about reducing avoidable harm, protecting others' fishing opportunities, and ensuring management systems respond when impacts become too high.

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What's at stake

Bycatch is not just a technical issue. It affects fish, fishermen, families, and communities across Alaska. When bycatch is too high, the impacts can fall on others who depend on the same species for food, income, culture, and future opportunity. Federal fishery law recognizes that bycatch should be minimized to the extent practicable, meaning as much as reasonably possible, and strong accountability is needed to make sure that goal is taken seriously in practice. Together, bycatch reduction and accountability help protect trust in fishery management and support the long-term health of Alaska’s fisheries.

What bycatch accountability looks like

Clear monitoring and accurate reporting
Transparency that the public can understand
Incentives to avoid non-target catch
Action when impacts are too high (such as limits or closures)
Continued innovation to reduce avoidable harm
Management that considers the people and communities affected

Questions voters should ask candidates:

Do you support minimizing bycatch and stronger accountability in Alaska fisheries?
Should fisheries be judged by their full impacts, not just target catch?
Do you support better monitoring and transparent public reporting?
How will you protect communities affected by bycatch impacts?
What steps will you support to reduce bycatch and improve stewardship over time?

Why bycatch accountability matters to Alaska communities

It supports the health of marine ecosystems that sustain fish, fishing opportunities, and communities
It supports food security for people who rely on fish for local harvest and everyday life
It helps conserve species that matter to commercial, subsistence, sport, and personal use fishermen
It strengthens public trust that Alaska’s fisheries are being managed fairly and responsibly

Bottom line

Bycatch accountability is about healthy ecosystems, stewardship, fairness, and responsible management. Alaska voters should support leaders who take the full impacts of fishing seriously and who are willing to protect the future of Alaska’s fish, fishing families, and coastal communities.

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Fish First is a program of Alaska Marine Community Coalition, a fishermen-led organization working to support healthy fisheries and strong working waterfronts.