Monday, February 9, 2026
- Feb 9
- 5 min read
Alaska
US pollock, processing sectors rail against hard cap solution to salmon bycatch dilemma
'We support alternatives that avoid this scenario as the level of disruption and harm from only one or two years of this potential situation would be devastating to the region' -- Julie Decker, Pacific Seafood Processors Association
Undercurrent News by Jacob Resneck - February 5, 2026
A panel that could play a big role in setting new fishing restrictions on the US pollock industry in order to reduce chum salmon bycatch in Alaska is hearing arguments this week for and against the use of a hard cap...
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The Curse and the Blessing of Diverse Fisheries For Communities that Rim Alaska’s Bering Sea
SeafoodNews by Peggy Parker - February 6, 2026
In Anchorage this week and next, the federal, state, and local fisheries managers, industry stakeholders, and scientists are addressing ways to reduce chum salmon bycatch in the Bering Sea trawl fishery. Hundreds of miles away in communities that rim the Bering Sea from Bethel to Nome, and along the two river systems that feed the Bering Sea, the Yukon and Kuskokwim, residents are also grappling with chum bycatch off their shores, and how much it may be impacting the disappearance of chum from the rivers.
The meeting is at the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, which scheduled this gathering just for chum salmon bycatch. At this meeting, residents from Unalaska, Dutch Harbor, Bethel, Nome, and other coastal communities along the Bering Sea will join industry, academia, and regulators to present their positions.
While stakeholders testified before the Council's advisory bodies earlier this week and are preparing their presentations for the 11 voting members beginning tomorrow, others are publishing opinions, writing commentaries, and organizing events—even in Anchorage’s sub-freezing temperatures—to influence decision-makers.
Trident Seafoods, one of the nation’s largest processors before a significant sell-off of some of their plants in Alaska, and still one of the world’s most successful seafood companies, recently released an article titled “Life at the Edge of the Bering Sea: How Alaska Fisheries Sustain Communities." The article emphasizes the benefits for residents of the Aleutian Islands, notably in Akutan, Unalaska, and Dutch Harbor, who for years have relied on Trident and other companies that were granted access to Bering Sea resources under the American Fisheries Act of 1998.
Over the years, local residents found work on vessels, in processing plants, and in support industries. Small-boat fishermen from the area and beyond found buyers in the area for their crab, halibut, and cod. “Fisheries in the Bering Sea provide something irreplaceable for a remote economy,” notes Trident’s article. “They create year-round jobs and fuel infrastructure that makes the necessities of everyday life possible. The processing plants in Akutan and Dutch Harbor can operate through all seasons. Cargo moves in and out, the clinics keep hours, and the airports stays (mostly) on schedule, weather depending. You can trace a straight line from a responsible, healthy fishery to the continuance of stable, working life on land.”
It’s true beyond Dutch Harbor, as well, and key to it all is the pollock fishery. “Understanding that interdependence is essential. Salmon fishermen depend on the processing capacity that Wild Alaska Pollock helps sustain,” notes the Trident article. “Crab crews rely on the same logistics networks and cargo services. Local contractors, stores and utilities are all woven together in the same fabric. Pull out one thread, and the fabric frays quickly.”
In addition to those reliances, however, is another industry sector that was created prior to the AFA fleet — the Western Alaska Community Development Quota Program (CDQ), launched by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council in 1992. After the AFA fleet began operating, the CDQ groups — six in remote western Alaska and the Aleutian Chain — came into their own. The six groups are allocated 10% of all Bering Sea and Aleutian Islands quotas for groundfish, prohibited species, halibut, and crab to eligible communities.
They now own catcher vessels, shares in motherships, and, in some cases, shore plants. They are also involved in the Council’s efforts to curb chum salmon bycatch — but not cut pollock harvests — taking place now in Anchorage.
The six CDQ groups represent village residents in dozens of tribal communities throughout Western Alaska and the Aleutians. They are:
- Aleutian Pribilof Island Community Development Corporation (APICDA)
- Bristol Bay Economic Development Corporation (BBEDC)
- Central Bering Sea Fishermen’s Association (CBSFA)
- Coastal Villages Region Fund (CVRF)
- Norton Sound Economic Development Corporation (NSEDC),
- Yukon Delta Fisheries Development Association (YDFDA).
Members of these groups are also part of other coastal and upriver groups that have seen traditional chum salmon returns in every river decrease dramatically in the past decade. They recognize that pollock bycatch isn’t the sole reason for the decline, but it is one they can influence. They will exercise that influence as the council meeting begins, hearing the analysis and inviting public testimony on it, starting as early as tomorrow.
American Seafoods opens applications for Alaska grants
Funding will target projects addressing food security and other social needs, according to the company.
Intrafish by staff - February 6, 2026
American Seafoods' Community Partnership Program has begun accepting applications for its 2026 Alaska community grants, the company said Thursday.
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International
3MMI - Norway Salmon Surge, Prices Fall, Europe & China Absorb Supply, U.S. Drops Back
Tradex Foods - February 9, 2026
Norway’s January salmon exports surged 20% to 112,000 tonnes, though total value dipped as prices softened.
Science symposium emphasizes Indigenous knowledge, finfish, kelp
The Cordova Times by Margaret Bauman -February 6, 2026
Gulf of Alaska maritime issues, from halibut and herring to kelp farming, were on the agenda during the four-day Alaska Marine Science Symposium in Anchorage from Jan. 26-30.
Pacific Cod Gene Expression Analysis Reveals how Changing Oceans Impact Larvae
NOAA Fisheries - February 6, 2026
A new study used gene expression analysis to explore how temperature and ocean acidification affect Pacific cod larvae.
Federal Register
Fisheries of the Exclusive Economic Zone Off Alaska; Demersal Shelf Rockfish in the Western, Central, and West Yakutat Regulatory Areas of the Gulf of Alaska
A Rule by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration on 02/09/2026
NMFS is prohibiting directed fishing of demersal shelf rockfish in the Western, Central, and West Yakutat Regulatory Areas of the Gulf of Alaska (GOA). This action is necessary to prevent exceeding the 2026 total allowable catch (TAC) of demersal shelf rockfish in the Western, Central, and West Yakutat Regulatory Areas of the GOA.
FYI’s
Southeast Alaska Chinook Salmon Fishery Mitigation Program 2026 Request for Proposals
Alaska Department of Fish and Game, Fisheries Mitigation - February, 2026
We are pleased to announce a 2026 Call for Proposals related to Hatchery Enhancement in Southeast Alaska.
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