A dense net emerged from the choppy Bering Sea waters, brimming with Alaska pollock tightly tangled within the mesh, their heads protruding through the webbing.
Upon spilling onto the deck, the catch brought forth a mix of deceased marine creatures: a skate, crabs, jellyfish, and notably, salmon — the focal point of a mounting political and cultural dispute surrounding industrial trawling in Alaska.
“This fishery captures wild fish, so encountering unintended species is inevitable, and many individuals take issue with that,” remarked Maverick Blake, the vessel’s captain. “Nevertheless, this is necessary to provide seafood for consumption.” Blake altered the boat’s course towards another fishing location in hopes of encountering fewer salmon.
Alaska pollock ranks as the world’s second-largest fishery, found in U.S. McDonald’s Filet-O-Fish sandwiches and transformed into fish sticks and imitation crab. While the fishery employs methods aimed at reducing environmental impacts, the nets capturing pollock also ensnare other marine life.
Bycatch, which refers to unintended marine life caught while targeting a different species, comprises two percent of the pollock fishery’s total catch. Within a fishery harvesting billions of pounds of pollock annually, this translates to hundreds of thousands of salmon.
In the past decade, Bering Sea pollock trawlers annually caught an average of approximately 18,000 Chinook and 288,000 other salmon, predominantly chum.
These catches have spurred controversy as salmon populations dwindle across western Alaska, affecting numerous Indigenous communities reliant on salmon for generations. The discontent has extended to smaller commercial and charter fishers, who claim to bear the consequences of declining stocks. Trawling and bycatch have emerged as prominent issues in Alaska’s midterm elections, with gubernatorial and U.S. Senate candidates disputing the level of restrictions imposed on the industry.
In 2024, Alaska and Canada implemented a seven-year prohibition on Chinook fishing along the Yukon River to allow depleted populations a chance to recover. The Kuskokwim River has also faced repeated Chinook and chum closures, with additional restrictions on other Yukon salmon fisheries.
Scientists attribute the declines primarily to warming waters and shifting ocean conditions rather than trawl bycatch. Warmer oceans can heighten the risk of salmon bycatch by altering the areas where salmon and pollock intersect.
Critics argue that bycatch represents one of the few aspects of fish mortality that managers can directly influence, emphasizing the significance of even minor losses when dealing with depleted runs.
“On board, captains make efforts to steer clear of salmon,” stated Blake, reflecting on the vessel’s experience catching roughly 210 chum salmon during a four-day period. Avoiding salmon remains a pivotal aspect of his role, with the pursuit of waters with fewer salmon consuming a significant amount of fuel.
Despite the challenges, industry representatives maintain that the fishery is one of the most effectively managed worldwide. Captains maintain communication with other vessels to exchange information on salmon concentrations, and the fleet adheres to weekly closure areas based on fishing ground reports. Pollock vessels are equipped with salmon excluders to facilitate the escape of salmon from the nets.
Each salmon caught by the Bering Sea pollock fleet is meticulously tallied, with trawlers monitored by observers or cameras, alongside inspections during deliveries at processing plants.
“The level of scientific and managerial efforts dedicated to enhancing it is unparalleled,” remarked Matt Tinning, CEO of the At-Sea Processors Association, representing five Alaska pollock companies. “The system is structured to consistently promote salmon avoidance.”
The discontent surrounding trawling extends beyond fisheries meetings, attracting a diverse group of critics, including Democrats, Republicans, commercial and sport fishers, and Alaska Native communities, typically not aligned in resource disputes.
In Alaska’s gubernatorial race, a significant portion of the original candidates expressed opposition to trawling or bycatch, advocating for stricter regulations. The governor wields substantial influence over federal fisheries policy, with the authority to nominate five of the North Pacific council’s seven appointed voting seats. Several gubernatorial candidates campaigned on leveraging these appointments to shift the council’s focus away from trawl interests.
In the U.S. Senate race, Democrat Mary Peltola called for the elimination of large factory trawlers, while Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan introduced legislation aimed at curbing bycatch and preventing trawl gear from impacting the seafloor.
As Captain Blake continues to fish for pollock in the Bering Sea, the Woods family’s boat remains moored along the Yukon River bank, symbolizing the diverging paths amid the ongoing conflict.
Blake aspires to have his son join him on the trawler in the future, while Brooke Woods envisions her son partaking in setting salmon nets alongside her, underscoring the uncertain future faced by traditional practices amidst the evolving landscape.