Alaska Fisheries Access & Accountability Reform Policy 
Halibut Conservation, Chinook Salmon Accountability, and Full-Utilization Framework
Why This Matters
Alaska’s fisheries are the backbone of our communities, our food security, and our way of life. For too long, bycatch and waste in our waters have put Indigenous communities, subsistence fishers, and rural families at a disadvantage while benefiting short-term profit elsewhere.
This plan is designed to stop the bleeding—ensuring that fish caught in Alaska waters are fully accounted for, used as food when feasible, and landed in Alaska to benefit our communities—while we work to align federal fisheries reform with Alaska’s priorities.
It’s not about policing the ocean. It’s about governing access to Alaska ports, infrastructure, and programs in a way that is accountable, responsible, and in the public interest.

Key Principles

1. Stop the Bleeding
   • Bycatch that would otherwise be wasted, discarded, or reduced to fishmeal is now tracked and directed to food-grade use whenever feasible.
   • Access to Alaska ports, processing facilities, and state programs is conditioned on accountability and responsible practices.
2. Vessel-Level Accountability
   • Performance is measured per vessel, not hidden behind fleet averages or cooperative math.
   • Chronic failure to meet Alaska standards can result in denial of access to ports, programs, and state incentives.
3. Food Goes to Alaskans
   • Prioritizes distribution of food-grade Chinook salmon and other bycatch to Indigenous communities and Alaska towns affected by low returns.
   • Supports a hub-and-spoke model connecting regional ports to local communities for equitable food distribution.
4. Conservation & Full Utilization
   • Incentivizes low-impact fishing gear, halibut size protections, and in-state processing.
   • All catch is tracked via chain-of-custody documentation and verified using approved monitoring methods.
5. Alaska-First Federal Representation
   • I will nominate Alaska-first representatives to the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) to ensure federal reforms align with Alaska’s priorities.
   • These appointments will help push for reduced bycatch caps, better discard mortality accounting, and conservation measures for Chinook salmon and halibut.

How It Works

• Any vessel, processor, or fishing operation chooses to access Alaska-managed ports, facilities, and programs.
• To qualify, they must meet eligibility standards:
  • Fully accounted catch and bycatch
  • Food-grade utilization where feasible
  • Landing fish in Alaska or approved facilities
  • Verified via observers, electronic monitoring, or chain-of-custody documentation
• Compliance allows use of the “Alaska – Responsible Harvest” brand, signaling ethical, conservation-minded practices to the world.
• Fees collected from this program support community food programs, fisheries resilience, and Alaska processing capacity.

Stop the Bleeding, Support Alaska Communities
This policy ensures that Alaska leads the way while federal reforms are negotiated—a process that could take years. By acting now, we:

• Protect Indigenous and rural communities
• Strengthen Alaska’s seafood economy
• Preserve fish for food rather than industrial byproducts
• Promote conservation and responsible stewardship

Alaska is showing the world that accountability matters. This is a step-by-step approach: we act today while advocating federally for the long-term reforms Alaska deserves.

*This policy will be implemented through lawful conditions on access to state-owned ports, facilities, services, and Alaska seafood branding — without regulating federal waters or fishing methods.”