Caring for Alaska’s Resources (Continued)

CVRF was one of the first to own and operate an 100% Alaskan-owned fleet in the Bering Sea pollock, cod, and crab fisheries. As Alaskans, we are serious about our responsibility to the natural world around us and all the resources it provides and, as a result, operate one of the cleanest, most-sustainable fleets in the region. Our 161 in-region employees and board members, our crews, and over 9,000 residents know the value of every fish and how our harvests help sustain subsistence lifestyles across Western Alaska, which is why we take great care to avoid salmon bycatch.

In 2022, CVRF’s Northern Hawk reported some of the lowest bycatch rates in the industry, including the lowest for chum salmon bycatch. We also led an industry effort to adopt more salmon-friendly practices, including avoiding areas where we know salmon are present. The Northern Hawk reduced chinook bycatch by 50% compared to 2021 and our chum bycatch was less than 10% of our 2021 rates. In all, CVRF’s total non-chinook take was 2% of the industry total. We continue to be proactive with new innovations to avoid bycatch even further, such as live underwater cameras, escapement nets, and technologies like LED lights to redirect salmon.

CVRF remains committed to leading the industry in clean, sustainable fishing, and by being a contributing member to dialogue and community-based solutions. CVRF supported a coalition of Western Alaska subsistence and commercial fishers and mainland based CDQ groups in their emergency request to limit the interception of Yukon and Kuskokwim River chum salmon in the Area M fishery in the Aleutian Islands. We will continue to urge the Alaska Board of Fisheries to limit chum intercept in Area M and stay engaged with our regional allies on this important issue.

We want to acknowledge our company culture and vessel captains and crews for running clean fishing operations. We want to thank our director of regional affairs, OSCAR EVON, for joining the North Pacific Fishery Management Council’s Salmon Bycatch Committee to ensure our region’s voices are heard.

Industry-wide Bering Sea Chinook Salmon Bycatch

ALASKANS HELPING ALASKANS