Bycatch Reduction Act

Key Points

• The bill requires the North Pacific Fishery Management Council to set new gear standards for trawl nets used in Alaska waters, including seafloor contact sensors to keep nets from scraping the ocean floor.
• All vessels using pelagic trawl gear in Alaska's major fisheries must install tested salmon excluder devices within one year of the bill becoming law, letting salmon escape nets while keeping other catch.
• It becomes illegal to import or sell seafood from foreign fishing vessels unless the Commerce Department certifies their home fishery meets conservation standards comparable to U.S. law, with violating seafood subject to seizure.
• A new Bycatch Mitigation and Habitat Protection Assistance Fund and a Flume Tank Assistance Fund will provide grants to help fishermen buy required sensors, nets, and gear.
• The North Pacific Council must record and publish all votes and post recordings or transcripts of its meetings online within 30 days, increasing public visibility into fishery decisions.