A portion of Prince William Sound is seen on March 31, 2004 near Valdez, Alaska. (Photo by David McNew/Getty Images)
In mid-December, the Board of Fish will consider four important trawl-related proposals. Three of them were submitted by the Chenega IRA Council, a federally recognized tribe, and one was submitted by the Alaska Outdoor Council. These are not two groups we have ever seen united on an issue before, which says something about the strength, breadth, and depth of support against wasteful trawl bycatch.
All of the proposals focus on Prince William Sound trawlers, the sole state-managed pelagic trawl fishery. According to Alaska statute, “contact with the bottom is prohibited” in this “pelagic,” or “midwater” fishery, yet bottom-dwelling species like shortraker rockfish, rougheye rockfish, octopus, halibut, squid and sharks, as well as Chinook salmon and other nonpelagic species, come up in their trawl nets every year as bycatch…