September 21, 2026 — U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) and U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) wrote a joint letter to the heads of the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee asking them to take action on the Northeast Lobstermen Protection Act, legislation introduced by U.S. Representative Jared Golden (D-Maine).
If passed, the legislation would extend a moratorium on new regulations of the lobster industry related to North Atlantic right whale regulations through 2035.
September 17, 2026 — A bill that aims to reduce the pollock fleet’s bycatch of salmon, halibut and other species passed the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Wednesday.
Sen. Dan Sullivan is the sponsor of the Bycatch Reduction Act. He said it would tell the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council to change how it treats the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska trawlers, to limit their impact on the marine environment.
“This sets out timelines. It sets out standards,” he said in a phone interview. “It sets out direct action to reduce bycatch, to limit — and, in many ways, do away with — trawl gear contact with the seafloor, and setting clearer standards.”
The bill also reconstitutes a group from a 2022 Sullivan bill, the Alaska Salmon Research Task Force Act. Sullivan said it will give Alaskans a direct say in what the federal government studies.