State says genetics funding enabled first Western Alaska chum bycatch cap

State-funded genetic testing helped federal fishery managers create the first cap aimed specifically at Western Alaska chum salmon bycatch, Alaska Department of Fish and Game Commissioner Doug Vincent-Lang said this week.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council adopted a 45,000-fish Western Alaska chum limit for the Bering Sea pollock fishery in February. Under the council action, reaching the limit would close a corridor north of Unimak Pass from June 10 through Aug. 31. NOAA must complete federal rulemaking before the measure takes effect, which is not expected before June 2028.

ADF&G manages state fisheries under regulations adopted by the Alaska Board of Fisheries and can adjust state openings through emergency orders. The federal council recommends rules for federal fisheries, which NOAA implements. Vincent-Lang holds one of the council's 11 voting seats, and Alaska nominates five other members.

Genetic testing matters because most chum caught as pollock bycatch are traced to Russia and Asia, while the new cap counts the smaller Western Alaska component. In 2024, pollock chum bycatch totaled 32,081 fish, including 4,205 identified as Western Alaska chum, according to figures cited by the state.

The council also revised fleet avoidance plans to use genetics and require more reporting to salmon users and tribal organizations. Vincent-Lang argues ocean conditions and predation are major drivers of chum declines. Ocean Conservancy says the cap is too high, while Tanana Chiefs Conference says a corridor limit leaves total chum bycatch unresolved. Those are competing policy judgments about the rule's adequacy, not a settled scientific conclusion.