As the North Pacific Fishery Management Council meets this week, a renewed debate over pelagic trawl gear is drawing attention from conservation groups, fishermen and fisheries managers.
In a June 1 statement, Alaska-based nonprofit SalmonState urged the council to close what it describes as a loophole that allows pelagic, or “midwater,” trawl vessel to make contact with the seafloor while operating in areas closed to other forms of bottom-contact fishing.
"In the Bering Sea alone, 40 percent of all bottom contact by fishing operations comes from 'mid-water' trawlers," SalmonState stated in its release.
"No one should be allowed to drag the ocean floor in protected, sensitive areas closed to that practice," said SalmonState executive director Tim Bristol. "It's far past time to close this colossal loophole."
SalmonState operations director Ryan Astalos argued that if pelagic gear is contacting the seafloor, it should be managed differently.
"The term 'pelagic' refers to marine ecosystems not near the coast or seafloor," Astalos said. "Pelagic or 'midwater' trawling needs to stay off the bottom of the ocean. If 'midwater' draggers can't uphold this basic definition, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council needs to manage them as bottom trawlers."
SalmonState also argued that trawl fisheries generate significant bycatch, citing an estimate that trawl fisheries "bycatch, on average, 141 million pounds of marine life each year."
The council, however, has been pursuing a research-based approach to the issue rather than immediately changing the regulatory definition of pelagic trawl gear. The Council accepted public comment on pelagic trawl gear issues as part of its June meeting process.
According to a June 2025 council release, the North Pacific Fishery Management Council said it intends to use "updated bottom contact estimates" and ongoing gear research "to develop options to revise the performance standard for pelagic trawl gear operations." The council noted that ecosystem changes are a major factor affecting crab populations and said additional research is needed to better understand gear interactions and habitat effects.
The council also cited research updated from Alaska Pacific University's Fisheries, Aquatic Science & Technology Lab and the industry's Gear Innovation Initiative. According to the council, the research is intended to improve estimates of "bottom contact and cumulative habitat disturbance" through modeling, gear simulations and field work.
"The Council intends to use the gear innovation research and other ongoing research to better quantify and understand current bottom contact by pelagic trawl gear types," the council stated in its June 2025 newsletter. The council added that future management measures would be evaluated once additional research becomes available.
The industry’s Gear Innovation Initiative has focused on collecting detailed information about how pelagic trawl gear performs in the water and exploring potential modifications. According to project materials highlighted by the council, current research includes “bycatch reduction devices, gear modifications, seafloor contact and benthic disturbance” studies.
The council's June 2026 agenda includes updates on pelagic trawl gear research, crab industry studies and discussions regarding "next steps on pelagic trawl performance." No final action on the issue is scheduled during the meeting.
The debate centers in part on regulations dating back to the early 1990s. NOAA Fisheries notes that the current pelagic trawl definition and performance standards were established through regulations adopted in 1993.
Whether the council ultimately revises those standards remains uncertain. For now, fisheries managers have indicated they want additional information from ongoing gear studies before considering changes, while conservation groups continue to press for immediate action.
The North Pacific Fishery Management Council is expected to continue discussions on pelagic trawl performance standards as research results become available throughout 2026.
