In the past decade nearly three million chum salmon, including nearly half a million from Western Alaska rivers, have been caught as bycatch in the Bering Sea pollock trawl fishery. Chum salmon are vitally important for subsistence in the region and in recent years returns have been so low many communities haven’t been able to harvest a single fish. There is currently no limit to how many chum salmon can be caught as bycatch in the trawl fishery.

View our factsheet on chum salmon bycatch in the Bering Sea pollock fishery

View our letter to the North Pacific Fishery Management Council on chum bycatch

Click here to hear testimony from the North Pacific Fishery Management Council’s February 2025 meeting on chum salmon bycatch. Oceana joined hundreds of people who attended the meeting from all over Alaska to call for action to reduce chum salmon bycatch and help ensure more fish return to Western Alaska rivers. The Council is currently reviewing management options, with a decision expected by the end of 2025.