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Salmon State

Here in Alaska, salmon sustain us. They
hatch in freshwater, swim downstream to the
ocean, grow bigger, and eventually swim
home, spawning the next generation of
salmon. With their bodies and the nutrients
they bring back from the sea, they feed bears,
other fish, eagles, the land, and people.
Alaska’s traditional fisheries have been
taking place sustainably for countless
generations. Our commercial fisheries are
well-managed, providing tens of thousands of
jobs, feeding people around the world. Our
sport fisheries are an essential part of living
here for many.
There’s one kind of fishing, however, that
74% of Alaskans across the political spectrum
want to ban: trawling.
Trawlers are massive boats, mostly alone. King salmon are now declining in rivers and every one of us can make a choice to
corporate-owned and homeported outside of across Alaska, with Alaskans facing restrictions support sustainable fisheries. We can do that
Alaska, that trail nets the size of football fields. or outright bans on catching them. The by supporting restaurants like The Kannery —
Those nets target low-value, high-volume largest and most wasteful fishery, however, a Homer, Alaska restaurant that proudly bills
species like pollock and flounder, which continues full steam ahead. Just last year, itself as “the world’s first trawl-free restaurant”
trawlers process into fish sticks, imitation crab, in 2024, however, trawlers bycaught 38,751 — and sustainably-caught wild Alaska salmon.
and surimi. Each year, they bycatch and kill king salmon; 48,643 chum salmon; 4.5 million We can stop buying fish sticks, and Filet O
a documented 141 million pounds of non- pounds of halibut; 3 million pounds of herring; Fish, and fake crab, and surimi.
target marine life, on average. They drag the 950,680 crabs; and one orca. If you’re looking for delicious, sustainably-
ocean floor, ripping up and crushing slow- While trawling may not be the only issue sourced fish: check out SalmonState’s
growing coral, crab, and habitat in a way that impacting our wild salmon, halibut, crab and Marketplace for a list of direct marketers
never comes up to the surface to be counted. other species, it is one with a clear solution at www.salmonstate.org/marketplace. We
What has been counted is this: between on which we can immediately act — and one don’t make money from this, we just think it’s
2003 and 2007, trawlers bycaught more of the biggest sources of hope, and potential important to highlight good people doing
than 400,000 king salmon in the Bering Sea action, comes from you. As consumers, each good work.

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