Alaska's Salmon Struggle: Who's Really to Blame?

People are pointing fingers at the trawl fleet for Alaska's salmon troubles. But the numbers tell a different story. The pollock fishery's impact on salmon runs is surprisingly small. For example, in 2023, the pollock fishery caught just 5, 627 Western Alaska chinook salmon. That's a tiny fraction compared to the 41, 365 chinook harvested in subsistence fisheries the same year. The data is clear. The pollock fishery's bycatch is not the main reason for declining salmon runs. In fact, the impact on coastal Western Alaska chinook is only 1. 9%. For the Upper Yukon stock, it's an almost unnoticeable 0. 6%. This means that even if the bycatch didn't exist, the salmon runs wouldn't increase by much. The pollock fishery is also highly regulated. Every single salmon caught is counted. Vessels carry observers or electronic monitoring cameras. There are also independent observers at the docks. No other fishery in Alaska has this level of monitoring. The data is accurate and reliable.Habitat impacts are minimal too. Less than 9% of the Bering Sea is fished by the pollock fleet. And less than 3. 5% of that area shows any sign of disturbance. Storm events actually disturb the shallow Bering Sea shelf more than fishing does. So why are some groups blaming the pollock trawl fleet? It's an easy target, but the numbers don't add up. For instance, coho salmon declined at the same time as 2. 5 million chum salmon failed to return in 2020. Coho aren't caught as bycatch, so their decline can't be blamed on the pollock fishery. Instead of focusing on the pollock fleet, people should be asking what else is affecting salmon runs. The money and effort going into anti-trawl campaigns could be better spent on restoring salmon habitat and understanding other threats to salmon recovery. The pollock fishery is actually a model of responsible fishing. It sustains communities and businesses in Alaska. Every catch reflects a commitment to sustainability and the future of these waters. It's time to look at the facts and ask the right questions.