Will advise on ways to implement task force recommendations
The effort to reduce bycatch in the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea has taken an important step forward.
On March 10, ADF&G Commissioner Doug Vincent-Lang ordered the establishment of a six member panel to help advance the recommendations outlined by the AK Bycatch Review Task Force (ABRT). The Task Force final report was provided to Gov. Dunleavy on December 8, 2022.
All members of the new council were part of the bycatch task force, which met 45 times over the course of last year. They represent a full range of Alaska geography and fisheries and will provide continuity as the state begins to proactively turn recommendations into reality.
Below is the Commissioner’s Order —
Kevin Delaney was on the ABRT Gulf of Alaska Halibut and Salmon Committee. He represents personal use and sport fishermen and is the founder of Delaney Outdoors, a fishery consulting firm he opened in 2010. He was the director for ADF&G’s Division of Sport Fish from 2005 to 2010.
Brian Gabriel was chair of the task force Gulf of Alaska Halibut and Salmon Committee. He has been the mayor of the City of Kenai since 2016 and previously held a seat on the city council for six years.
Linda Kozak of Kodiak was chair of the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea Crab Committee. She owns a fishery consulting services and served on the task force as a representative of halibut fishermen. Kozak also is on the board of United Fishermen of Alaska.
Stephanie Madsen was co-chair of the task force Western AK Salmon Committee. She represents the trawl sector and is the Executive Director for the At-Sea Processors Association. Madsen is a former chair of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council and currently serves on the Council’s Ecosystem Committee.
Karma Ulvi also was on the Western AK Salmon committee and serves as the subsistence representative from a Yukon River community. She is the Chief of the Native Village of Eagle and the Tribal Administrator with Tanana Chiefs Conference.
John Jensen of Petersburg was Chair of the AK Bycatch Review Task Force. He has over a half century of experience in Alaska’s commercial fishing industry and is serving his seventh term on the Alaska Board of Fisheries. Jensen also was appointed to the North Pacific Fishery Management Council in 2018.
Below is more information on the new Bycatch Advisory Council.
