Proposals Aim to Protect Alaska Waters from Bottom Trawling

New proposals before the Alaska Board of Fisheries aim to protect Alaska waters from bottom trawling by requiring bycatch mitigation tools and responsible trawl gear use. The proposals, supported by environmental groups, seek to keep trawl gear off the ocean bottom and reduce risks to benthic habitat and salmon populations. The Alaska Healthy Habitat Alliance introduced the proposals, which include defining trawl gear operated inside state waters as non-pelagic and establishing bottom contact monitoring requirements.