Alaskan waters are being devastated by corporate trawlers, with regulators turning a blind eye as marine ecosystems collapse.
Lois Parshley reports for The Lever.
In short:
- Alaskan pollock, found in many fast food chains, is being harvested using harmful trawling methods that destroy marine habitats.
- Bycatch, including endangered species like Chinook salmon, is worsening, with trawlers receiving little pushback from regulators tied to the fishing industry.
- Lawsuits and tribal groups are fighting to hold the federal government accountable, but corporate interests remain entrenched in fisheries management.
Key quote:
“Instead of really even understanding our impact, we’re just expanding manifest destiny, to the last untouched places of Earth.”
— Eva Burk, a Dene’ Athabascan who sits on a nonvoting advisory panel to the North Pacific Fishery Management Council
Why this matters:
Alaska's pollock fishery is a corporate goldmine, fueling fast food chains across the globe. Cozy ties between the fishing industry and regulators keep corporate interests one step ahead of any real accountability and encourage destructive practices that could lead to the collapse of entire marine ecosystems. Read more: The planet’s largest ecosystems could collapse faster than we thought.
