Much of the bycatch — dead marine life tossed overboard — is much more valuable, pound for pound, than the fish being targeted.

Many fish and crab stocks in the North Pacific Ocean are in a precipitous downward spiral and the thousands of Alaskans who depend on a healthy and productive marine/ocean environment for food or income have seen their ability to harvest salmon, halibut, sablefish and crab decimated.

Because of the scale of harvest involved in the trawl fisheries, 100% observer coverage should be required of every vessel and each tow made. Yet observer coverage for much of the fleet is nowhere near the 100% threshold. For example, trawl captains in the Gulf of Alaska are allowed to “self-report” their bycatch 85% of the time — their observer coverage is only 15%.