NPFMC to Take Final Action on Chum Salmon Bycatch: What’s at Stake—and What Comes Next

Western Alaska chum salmon are at the center of one of the most consequential fisheries management decisions facing Alaska right now.

This winter, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) is considering final action on next steps on chum salmon bycatch management in the Bering Sea pollock fishery, informed by NOAA’s Draft Environmental Impact Statement (DEIS). The DEIS confirms what many fishing and subsistence communities have experienced firsthand: chum salmon bycatch remains a serious and preventable source of mortality during a period of ongoing salmon crises across Western and Interior Alaska.

In December, the Alaska Marine Community Coalition submitted detailed public comments to NOAA emphasizing several key findings from the DEIS:

• Chum salmon bycatch has real population-level impacts, especially during low-abundance years, when losses translate directly into fewer spawning adults returning to Western Alaska rivers.

• Bycatch risk is concentrated in specific times and places, supporting targeted management tools rather than reliance on averages or voluntary measures alone.

• Subsistence and community impacts are severe and irreversible, while many economic impacts to the pollock fishery are distributive and recoverable over time.

• Uncertainty in data often underestimates impacts to weak stocks, reinforcing the need for precaution rather than delay.

Based on this record, AMCC is urging decision-makers to adopt a durable, enforceable, and layered approach to chum salmon bycatch management—one that combines clear limits on bycatch, targeted spatial protections, and transparent accountability measures, while continuing to build toward stronger abundance-based management in the future.

Why the February Council Meeting Matters

Status quo for the pollock fleet means a continued decline for chum-dependent communities. This meeting is a critical opportunity for fishing families, subsistence users, Tribal leaders, and community members to make their voices heard. The NPFMC will take up final action on chum salmon bycatch management at its meeting in Anchorage, February 2-11 at the Egan Center, where Council members will discuss alternatives and potential paths forward. 

Council decisions shape federal fisheries policy for years to come. Public participation helps ensure those decisions reflect not only models and tables, but lived experience on the water and in our communities.

How to Participate

There are several ways to engage in the February NPFMC meeting:

• Attend in person: The meeting will be held at the Egan Center in Anchorage and is open to the public.

• Provide oral public testimony: Members of the public can sign up to testify in person or by Zoom.

• Submit written comments: Written comments are due January 30th at noon Alaska time. Comments become part of the official record and are read by Council members and staff.

• Listen remotely: Meetings are livestreamed, allowing anyone to follow the discussion even if they can’t attend in person.

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Meeting agendas, testimony instructions, and logistics are posted on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council website ahead of the meeting.

AMCC will continue to track this issue closely and advocate for management decisions that protect salmon, respect fishing and subsistence communities, and strengthen Alaska’s fisheries for the long term. We encourage our members and partners to stay engaged. Your voice matters in shaping the future of salmon management.