May 9, 2023 — After Alaska Gov. Mike Dunleavy’s Bycatch Review Task Force delivered its recommendations in November of 2022, the next step is action.
Initiated by Alaska Department of Fish and Game Commissioner, Doug Vincent-Lang, the Alaska Bycatch Advisory Council will help implement the task force recommendations.
“When we started with the task force, we wanted to create a report that has impact,” says Stephanie Madsen, executive director of the At-Sea Processors Association, and member of the Task Force and Advisory Council.
“One of the most important things is to make the information we have available to the public,” says Madsen. “To correct the misinformation that’s out there.”
According to Madsen, the task force addressed three areas in which the advisory panel will continue to work: state engagement, research, and management.