VOLUME 3 | ISSUE 1 | MARCH 2026
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bycatch occur. Through additional innovations we are com- mitted to further minimizing bycatch of Western Alaska chum. To address the crisis of salmon declines in Alaska, we need to ground our actions in science and shared under- standing. While fishing does play a role, the overwhelming evidence points to broad-scale environmental shifts as the primary drivers. Trawl fisheries represent a small portion of overall impacts, but we recognize that even small impacts matter when abundance is so low. We also know that real solutions will take all of us — Tribal communities, scientists and industry — working together with transparency, humility and mutual respect. There is a path forward, but it must be shaped by both sci- ence and lived experience, and we are committed to being part of that conversation in good faith. CAITLIN YEAGER IS AN RDC BOARD MEMBER. SHE GREW UP IN SAVAN- NAH, GA., IN A FAMILY OF BOAT BUILDERS. SHE CAME TO ALASKA AS A SCIENTIST AND SPENT A DECADE LIVING IN DUTCH HARBOR, RUNNING A FLEET OF POLLOCK AND CRAB VESSELS WHILE WORKING CLOSELY WITH THE FISHING COMMUNITY. SHE NOW WORKS WITH THE AT-SEA PROCESSORS ASSOCIATION, HELPING BRIDGE THE GAP BETWEEN LIFE ON THE WATER AND THE POLICIES THAT SHAPE IT. "To address the crisis of salm- on declines in Alaska, we need to ground our actions in science and shared understanding. While fishing does play a role, the over- whelming evidence points to broad-scale environmental shifts as the primary drivers. Trawl fish- eries represent a small portion of overall impacts, but we recognize that even small impacts matter when abundance is so low. We also know that real solutions will take all of us — Tribal commu- nities, scientists and industry — working together with transparen- cy, humility and mutual respect."
Between 2011 and 2023, 81.4% of Alaska pollock chum bycatch was from non-Western Alaska sources. Pacific rim chum salmon hatchery releases, predominantly from Rus- sia and Japan, now total more than 3 billion fish per year and constitute the vast majority of chum salmon that our vessels encounter. How do we know? Because government observers count every single salmon that we catch, and extensive genetic sampling provides a detailed picture of where these salmon originate. As Western Alaska runs have declined, the percentage of our bycatch originating from hatcheries has increased. In 2024, 96% of the Alaska pollock catcher-processor fleet’s chum bycatch was of non-Western Alaska origin. Put another way, the Alaska pollock catch- er-processor fleet harvested more than 1.28 billion pounds of pollock in 2024 while taking 313 Western Alaska chum. The Alaska pollock industry and regional fishery man- agers have redoubled their efforts in response to growing concern in recent years to avoid chum salmon specifically of Western Alaska origin. This is challenging but increas- ingly possible, through new tools such as real-time genetic sampling and analysis of historical catch data. The Alaska pollock fleet already invests heavily in salmon lights and excluder devices as well as real-time vessel-to-vessel data sharing that closes fishing grounds if high levels of salmon
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ALASKA RESOURCE REVIEW MARCH 2026
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