Dan Carney: Alaska can’t afford reckless calls to end to trawling

By CAPT. DAN CARNEY

April 13, 2026 – I’ve spent 45 years working on the Bering Sea and 30 of those as a pollock trawl captain. I’ve seen a lot of crazy things during that time, but these recent attacks on trawl fishing by some candidates for Governor may top them all.

Growing up in Wasilla I didn’t know anyone with a fishing boat, so I hired on as a slime line worker out of Dutch Harbor. Since then, I’ve spent most of my life working in the pollock fishery and I’ve seen how much it has evolved.  Technology and technique have come a long way. The fishery I started in is not the same as the fishery we operate today.

Alaska fisheries are the most sustainable in the world. The trawl sector is the backbone of that industry. Trawling harvests 80% of Alaskan seafood and supports thousands of Alaska jobs. Not just on boats, but in processing plants, port facilities, small businesses, and coastal communities throughout our State. These are real people, real families, real towns.

It is recognized as a global gold standard for responsible management, and we operate under some of the strictest regulations in the world. Written into those regulations are mandates to monitor and reduce bycatch. That push also comes from our captains, regulators and vessel owners, who care about the marine environment, and not just our target species.

That is why hearing some of the political rhetoric these days seems so disconnected from reality. For us, fishing isn’t just a job, it’s a way of life. It’s hard to describe how disturbing it is to hear candidates for Alaska governor calling to end it.

Calls to “ban trawling” aren’t new. I remember Greenpeace targeting our fishery back in the 1990s. What is new, and deeply concerning, is hearing those same talking points echoed by people running to lead our state.

To me it’s not just personal… It’s nuts.

A trawl ban would be more than a blunder for Alaska. It would cause a socio-economic tsunami that would increase everyday costs for Alaskans. It would undermine the economic model that maintains cargo services to our state. It would end thousands of Alaskan jobs and hundreds of millions of dollars in economic output. Coastal communities that rely on fishing revenue would be devastated. Processing plants would close. Families would be forced to leave.

And for what?

Activist campaigns are trying to blame trawl fisheries for salmon, halibut and crab declines, but those claims are not based on facts. Changing ocean conditions and  marine heat waves were the primary culprits in the recent declines of Western Alaskan chum salmon and opilio crab. These declines have been devastating for many Alaskans, but the science is clear that trawling is not the cause, and a ban on trawling would not be the cure.

I’m not a politician. I’m a fisherman. I’ve spent my life working in one of the toughest industries in the world. I could retire tomorrow, but I stay because the pollock fishery is clean and because I believe in it. I believe in feeding people. I believe in supporting our communities. And I believe in harvesting seafood the right way. I have seen a lot through the years and it really doesn’t get any better than this. It is disturbing to see candidates propose policies that would wipe all of that away without offering real solutions.

Alaskans deserve leaders who understand what’s at stake in this industry. They deserve leaders who are willing to stand up for the working people, and for those who actually produce something that is vital to the economy of the state.

From where I stand, calling for a total shutdown of trawling isn’t just misguided. It’s reckless.

Dan Carney is a lifelong Alaskan with over 45 years of experience in the state’s seafood industry. For the past three decades, he has captained a catcher vessel in the Bering Sea pollock fishery. Throughout his career, Dan has been actively involved in cooperative research, innovation, and long-term fishery strategies. He is an advocate for solutions, and a steward of the resource. He regularly participates in the North Pacific Fishery Management Council process.

Alex Gimarc: How to shoot yourself in the foot on the trawling issue

Matt Tinning: Misinformation about ‘factory trawlers’ won’t bring back Kenai kings

Alex Gimarc: Has Alaska Outdoor Council lost the bubble?