Copper Basin AC Weighs in on PWS Trawling
Adult spawning Chinook Salmon. Photo by Ryan Hagerty, courtesy of U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service.
salmon (general term): łuk‟ae [thloo-ka]
spawning salmon: łuk‟ae tazdlaexi (C, L) [taz-dlak-he]
Allison Sayer
The Copper Basin Alaska Department of Fish and Game Advisory Committee (AC) met on October 5 to review new Board of Fish proposals. The Board will decide which proposals to incorporate into current regulations at a meeting in Cordova December 10-16.
After proposals related to the Upper Copper River were discussed, Wade Sampson asked the board to consider several proposals that affect Prince William Sound (PWS). Among these were four proposals regarding the PWS walleye pollock pelagic trawl fishery.
The state fishery makes up a small portion of pollock trawling near Alaska. 268,370,916 pounds of pollock were reported harvested in Gulf of Alaska federal waters in 2024. In comparison, 7,991,826 pounds were reported harvested in 2024 in state waters of Prince William Sound.
Even within the relatively small state fishery, bycatch is an issue. According to ADF&G harvest reports, the reported bycatch of chinook salmon in PWS was 2,221 pounds in 2020 and increased every year to reach 2,816 pounds in 2024. Rockfish and squid bycatch is also substantial, with 20,863 pounds of rockfish and 220,256 pounds of squid reported as bycatch in 2024.
Proposal 14, submitted by the Alaska Outdoor Council, would close the fishery unless: “No part or attachment to the Pelagic trawl gear makes contact with the seafloor habitat” and “There is no bycatch of Chinook salmon in the PWS Pollock Pelagic trawl fishery.”
Proposal 15, submitted by the Chenega IRA Council, would change the bycatch regulations. Bycatch limits are currently a percentage of the total catch, so the amount of bycatch increases if the amount of allowable directed pollock harvest increases. The proposal would establish a flat number of pounds permissible as bycatch regardless of allowable pollock catch.
Proposal 16, also submitted by the Chenega IRA Council, would close the fishery altogether due to habitat concerns.
Proposal 17, also submitted by the Chenega IRA Council, would mandate observer coverage on PWS pollock trawl fishery vessels. All vessels would have 100% electronic observation, and there would also be a 50% physical onboard observer requirement.
The AC did not vote on proposal 15. They unanimously supported proposals 14, 16 and 17, noting concerns for both king salmon and marine habitat.
The complete proposal book is available on the ADF&G website. Public comments are due November 26 and can be submitted via the ADF&G website or by mail to: Alaska Department of Fish and Game Boards Support Section, PO Box 115526, Juneau, AK 99811-5526. For more information, contact ADF&G Boards support at (907)465-4110.
Read about the Copper Basin AC’s review of proposals relevant to the local area here.