They're Killing Our Salmon
Industrial pollock trawlers in the Bering Sea accidentally kill hundreds of thousands of Chinook and chum salmon every year — fish that belong to the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers. This is public data. We're making it impossible to ignore.
🗺️ View Live Trawler Map2026 Season — Week 23
As of 2026-06-0819.4% of PSC hard cap used
39.5% of PSC hard cap used
189,616
Chinook salmon killed as bycatch (2015–2025)
3,854,352
Chum salmon killed as bycatch (2015–2025)
13%
Average traced to Western Alaska rivers (genetic analysis)
Historical Bycatch Trend (BSAI Pollock Fishery)
| Year | Chinook Killed | Chum Killed | Chinook Limit | W. Alaska % |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2015 | 13,346 | 313,460 | 60,000 | 12% |
| 2016 | 10,327 | 308,830 | 60,000 | 14% |
| 2017 | 24,795 | 466,437 | 60,000 | 11% |
| 2018 | 11,446 | 296,082 | 60,000 | 9% |
| 2019 | 14,081 | 448,528 | 60,000 | 13% |
| 2020 | 22,562 | 505,013 | 60,000 | 15% |
| 2021 | 16,649 | 545,883 | 45,000 | 9% |
| 2022 | 15,073 | 128,780 | 45,000 | 18% |
| 2023 | 20,811 | 212,395 | 45,000 | 16% |
| 2024 | 18,422 | 287,654 | 45,000 | 14% |
| 2025 | 22,104 | 341,290 | 45,000 | 17% |
Source: NOAA Alaska Fisheries Catch Accounting System, NMFS Observer Program, NPFMC Annual Reports. Genetic stock composition via Alaska Fisheries Science Center.
Critical NMFS Reporting Areas
These are the Bering Sea zones where pollock trawlers intercept migrating Yukon & Kuskokwim salmon.
Area 509 — SE Bering Sea
North of Unimak Pass. Major bottleneck for returning salmon.
Area 517 — Southern Bering Sea
Primary highway for W. Alaska salmon along the shelf edge.
Area 514 — Northern Bering Shelf
Juvenile salmon nursery near Y-K Delta.
Area 513 — Central Bering Shelf
Deep-water feeding grounds for mature salmon.
Area 521 — Bering Sea Slope
Continental slope where pollock trawlers operate.
We Deserve to Know
This data shouldn't be buried in NOAA reports nobody knows how to read. Every salmon killed as bycatch is one less fish returning to our rivers, feeding our families, and sustaining our communities.
See Who's Out There Right Now →