March 23, 2026 — Three proposals before the Alaska Board of Fisheries, which took place March 17-21 in Anchorage, would require that bycatch mitigation tools recognized as best practice be used in groundfish harvesting within state waters.
These proposals are not intended to prohibit pelagic trawling or shut down a fishery, but to keep trawl gear off the ocean bottom, where it is not legally allowed, according to the Alaska Healthy Habitat Alliance (AHHA).