Healthy Fisheries & Marine Ecosystems
Advancing targeted policy, advocacy, and communication measures that protect Alaska fisheries and ecosystems.
Current Priorities
1. Reducing Chum Salmon Bycatch
Chum salmon bycatch in the Bering Sea pollock fishery continues to have real consequences for Western Alaska communities. We monitor bycatch trends, evaluate management responses, and advocate for stronger accountability measures that reduce waste and protect salmon stocks.
2. Protecting Essential Fish Habitat
Healthy fisheries start with healthy habitat. We work to make sure protections for Essential Fish Habitat (EFH) keep pace with fishing practices that affect the seafloor and ecosystem function—especially where current gear definitions and management approaches leave gaps in accountability.
3. Safeguarding Tanner Crab Habitat
Tanner crab populations are closely tied to habitat conditions, yet protections often lag behind what the science tells us. We advance habitat protections that support recovery and long-term stability in the Gulf of Alaska.
Key Strategies & Activities:
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Track bycatch and habitat impacts in federal fisheries: Monitor bycatch levels, habitat interactions, and ecosystem impacts tied to large-scale federal fisheries.
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Engage in North Pacific Fishery Management Council processes: Participate in Council meetings, advisory processes, and regulatory reviews.
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Evaluate proposed management measures and alternatives: Review draft analyses, management alternatives, and work plans to assess whether they meaningfully reduce bycatch and protect habitat.
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Advocate for clearer standards and accountability measures: Push for enforceable bycatch limits, clearer gear definitions, and habitat protections that reflect current science and fishing practices.
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Submit formal comments and public testimony: Provide written comments and testimony to ensure fishery decisions account for ecological impacts and community consequences.
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Communicate decisions and impacts to fishing communities: Break down complex policy decisions through blogs and updates so fishing communities understand what changed and why it matters.
How You Can Help:
Management decisions are shaped over time, and public input plays a critical role in how those decisions unfold. Staying informed and speaking up when opportunities arise helps ensure fisheries decisions reflect community needs and on-the-water realities.
Ways to get involved:
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Sign up for our newsletter to stay connected to current issues and opportunities to engage.
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Read our blog for clear breakdowns of fishery decisions and their impacts on fishing communities.
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When public comment opportunities arise, submit comments or testimony to help elevate community perspectives. Learn how to take action.
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Let us know what you’re hearing or experiencing on the water to help inform our policy engagement.
