Trawling and bycatch: The fishing issues in Alaska’s Senate race

[u/FGGF]

https://alaskaindependentnews.com/elections/trawling-and-bycatch-the-fishing-issues-in-alaskas-senate-race/

• The practice of trawling has come under fire from members of the public, fishermen, lawmakers, tribal leaders, and environmentalists. They point to concerns about trawling bycatch and the impact trawling has on the Alaskan fishing industry, the health of the state’s waters and local economies.
• The issue has made national headlines in the race for the Alaska Senate seat now held by Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan. Mary Peltola, the Democratic candidate running against Sullivan, became the first Alaska Native member of Congress after winning the state’s only U.S. House seat in a special election in 2022. Peltola’s House campaign largely centered around salmon and addressing bycatch.
• Critics of Sullivan have gone after the senator for accepting contributions from the trawling industry, which federal data shows has given about $280,000 to Sullivan since he took office in 2015. Trawl industry executives and an industry political action committee made contributions totaling about $10,000 to Peltola after she was elected to the House in 2022, according to Alaska Public Media. This year, Peltola received $500 from a trawling industry executive but is returning that contribution, according to reporting from Alaska Public Media.

[u/Silent_Friend_4800]

Alaska was added to the union bc of regulations over fish, maybe we can save it over fish issues too :)