AK Bycatch Council wants public input on ways to provide/improve outreach

March 3 meeting to focus on State improvements to public communications on bycatch info

Discussing Alaska’s “state engagement” recommendations on bycatch is the focus of a virtual meeting of the Alaska Bycatch Advisory Council (BAC) on Monday, March 3 starting at 9am AK time.

The BAC will be looking for recommendations from the public on how the State of Alaska could improve in the following areas:

– Providing bycatch-related information and resources for Alaskans in a format that is understandable and easily accessible.
– Ways to improve input from the public on bycatch issues for creating state policy as well as issues before the North Pacific Fishery Management Council.

The six member Council was created in March 2023 by ADF&G Commissioner Doug Vincent-Lang to help advance the recommendations outlined by an AK Bycatch Review Task Force in a report provided to Gov. Mike Dunleavy in November 2022.

Several measures are already making advances in the state and federal fisheries realms. They include Increased electronic monitoring, a chum salmon bycatch cap for pollock trawlers, protections for Kodiak Tanner crabs, better estimates of halibut discards and unobserved crab deaths caused by fishing gears, a review of open and closed fishing areas and redefining “pelagic” (mid-water) to eliminate the common practice of trawl gear actually being on the bottom.

“I know the public is disheartened by the slow moving progress, but the process is designed to be methodical,” explained BAC Chair Linda Kozak of Kodiak. “With federal managers, they start with a discussion, then an initial review followed by a preferred option for final analysis. It allows for fine tuning and gives ample opportunity for the public to engage. It is very different from the state Board of Fisheries process where action can be taken all in one meeting.”

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