During the February 2025 North Pacific Fisheries Management Council (NPFMC) meeting, Tribal leaders and advocates from across the State stood together to demand immediate action to address the ongoing salmon crisis. The meeting focused on new bycatch management measures for chum salmon in the Bering Sea pollock fishery, drawing strong Tribal testimony from across regions with leaders and advocates from TCC, AVCP, Kawerak, and Tlingit & Haida showing up united to urge the council to take meaningful action to reduce bycatch of chum salmon. Chief Brian Ridley of Tanana Chiefs Conference (TCC) testified about the devastating impact of salmon declines on Tribal communities and condemning the Council’s continued prioritization of the billion-dollar pollock industry over Indigenous subsistence fisheries.
“We will continue to show up—alongside other Chiefs, Tribal members, and advocates—until you hear us, listen to our voices, and take action,” said Chief Ridley. “We will not be ignored. We are not going away. No meaningful action has been taken to confront this crisis.”
Salmon populations continue to plummet, with the 2024 Yukon River fall chum run being the third-lowest on record. Between 2010 and 2014, an average of 84,438 chum salmon were taken for subsistence each year; in 2024, that number dropped to just 3,618. TCC and its Tribes now spend up to $1.96 million buying salmon from commercial fleets to supplement the teaching of cultural practices around putting away salmon while fishing is not allowed on the Yukon River.
The impacts extend beyond the loss of food security. Rates of diabetes have increased by 24.6%, obesity has risen by 70%, and malnutrition has climbed by 50% as communities are left to rely on processed foods instead of the nutrient-rich salmon that has sustained them for generations. “The pollock industry’s profits are literally being paid with our lives,” Ridley emphasized. “While billion-dollar trawl companies benefit from our waters, Indigenous families along the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers are being stripped of their food security, cultural traditions, and economic stability.”
Despite the severity of this crisis, state and federal regulations continue to prioritize non-Alaskan owned economic interests, allowing destructive trawling practices to persist. The North Pacific Fisheries Management Council has failed to hold the pollock industry accountable, even as Indigenous communities suffer the consequences. TCC co-authored sections of the Draft Environmental Impact Statement (EIS) to highlight the social, economic, environmental, and health impacts of declining salmon populations and harvest restrictions, but the EIS still prioritizes commercial fishing profits and does not integrate Traditional Knowledge as best available science.
The Council is currently considering five potential actions, ranging from maintaining the status quo to implementing bycatch limits, corridor closures, or industry-led avoidance measures. The revised alternatives for chum salmon bycatch management will be incorporated into the Draft EIS, which is being refined and will be published in the Federal Register. Once released, there will be opportunities for public comment, and the National Marine Fisheries Service continues to accept requests for Tribal Consultation. Final action by the Council is anticipated by December 2025 but is subject to change.
TCC urged the Council to take immediate action by adopting a holistic, ecosystem-based management approach prioritizing conservation. “Conservation continues to be shouldered solely by our Tribes,” Ridley said.
TCC acknowledges and thanks the many Tribal leaders, advocates, and community members who continue to show up in these spaces. Their voices are critical in holding decision-makers accountable and pushing for change.
Tribal representatives and community members are strongly encouraged to participate in upcoming public comment periods to ensure their perspectives are fully considered in the final decision-making process. We will continue to show up, and we will not stop fighting for the survival of our people and our salmon.
To get involved in this essential fight and to stay informed about upcoming advocacy opportunities, please reach out to TCC Tribal Resource Stewardship at TRSP@tananachiefs.org or visit https://www.tananachiefs.org/tribal-resources-stewardship-program/.
