Bycatch fight shapes Alaska Senate messaging

Bycatch from trawling ships has become a central issue in Alaska’s U.S. Senate race, with outside political advocacy groups, campaigns and allied committees using ads and mailers to attack candidates over their records on regulating the pollock industry.

The race features Republican Sen. Dan Sullivan and Democratic challenger Mary Peltola, a former U.S. representative. Peltola’s supporters say she pushed bycatch-reduction legislation before the issue became prominent in the campaign, while Sullivan says he has a strong record on fisheries and introduced what he called the “most comprehensive bycatch legislation ever.”

The issue has drawn more attention as the Alaska contest is among the Senate races that could help determine control of the chamber after the midterm elections. Critics of the trawling industry blame bycatch for contributing to declines in salmon, halibut and crab fisheries.

Read the full story at adn.com.