Investigations
Yukon River king salmon runs collapsed to fewer than 40,000
The United States and Canada banned almost all king salmon fishing on the river system for seven years in 2024.
In Alaska, Yukon River king salmon runs collapsed from annual averages near 400,000 in 1981 to fewer than 40,000 in recent years. More Perfect Union filmed underwater trawl operations and interviewed river villagers, deckhands, and candidates to document a growing revolt against industrial draggers in the Bering Sea.
Athabascan fishers Eva Burk and Charlie Wright said their family fish camp on the Tanana River went five seasons without a legal king harvest. This year they needed an educational permit to take a few salmon for teaching. Charlie Wright said that as a child he could see salmon pulsing up the river, but the crash mirrored declines across the Yukon system.
In 2024, the United States signed an agreement with Canada that banned almost all king salmon fishing in those rivers for seven years, roughly one salmon life cycle from hatch to spawn. Many residents pointed to the Bering Sea, where juveniles feed. Louis Kendrick, a small-boat fisherman who once crewed on trawlers, said discards of salmon, halibut, and crab were routine when landings would trigger shutdowns.
About 100 trawl vessels work the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea. In 2025, Alaska trawlers recorded bycatch of nearly 100,000 Alaska-born salmon and 4.2 million pounds of halibut. Pollock trawling generated about $832 million in revenue while supporting roughly 6,000 jobs, but industry research showed most owners are Seattle-based and most wage dollars leave the state.
The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration regulates the fleet and has emphasized climate change over bycatch in public messaging. A 2026 NOAA study on king salmon concluded there was no evidence that bycatch removals drove population-level declines on the Yukon. Fishermen countered that the work did not weigh seabed damage from trawl gear and that discard logs rely on an honor system when overages would close a trip.
Under federal salmon bycatch rules, discards include fish returned by law or dumped when they are not worth keeping. The North Pacific Fishery Management Council sets limits, gear standards, and fishing areas. Anne Vanderhoeven sits on the council while serving as director of government affairs for Seattle-based Arctic Storm Management Group, a pairing allowed when members file disclosures. Commercial fisherman Alexus said serving on a local advisory panel showed the process was stacked against in-state crews.
Charter fisherman David Bayes co-hosted a podcast that pressed candidates on trawling and helped run a Facebook group on bycatch that grew to nearly 60,000 members. In a state where the last congressional race turned on fewer than 8,000 votes, that reach forced office seekers to answer. Independent U.S. House candidate Bill Hill, also a small-boat fisherman, argued for banning bottom trawling where it destroys habitat.
Senator Dan Sullivan and Representative Nick Begich, both Republicans, introduced paired bycatch bills in Congress that fund research and gear upgrades but do not ban trawl gear or close fishing areas. More Perfect Union asked both offices for interviews and neither responded. Mary Peltola's campaign said she wants to ban factory trawling; she received about $15,000 from trawl interests in prior cycles while Sullivan drew at least $328,000 over his career.
Pro-trawl groups including Securing Alaska's Future and Alaskans Deserve Better ran ads accusing opponents of spreading false tales. A poll last year found 74 percent of Alaska residents supported a federal ban on bottom trawling, a margin that crossed party lines in a state where most voters register as independents.
Source video: We Went to Alaska. The Fishing Crisis Will Shock You