Bycatch Dispute Pivots Alaska Senate Race as Salmon Runs Collapse
The tight 2026 Alaska Senate race between Dan Sullivan and Mary Peltola has centered on pollock trawler bycatch, which critics claim devastates local salmon runs. While industry supporters cite minimal waste rates, subsistence communities in the Yukon-Kuskokwim region report cultural collapse due to missing fish. Sullivan recently shifted his stance to support bycatch reduction bills, mirroring Peltola’s long-standing anti-trawl platform, making the issue a decisive factor in the election.