Nicholas Begich (R-AK)
Bycatch Reduction Act
A Republican bill with no cosponsors
Last activity — Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
In committee
Introduced and handed to a committee in the chamber it started in.
The committee holds it, and most bills are never heard from again. A hearing or a committee vote would be news; silence is the usual outcome, and it kills the bill without anyone voting against it.
Its path through Congress
- Introduced
- In Committee
What this bill would do
The Bycatch Reduction Act aims to decrease the impact of trawl gear on seafloor habitats and bycatch in the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, and Gulf of Alaska. It mandates new gear performance standards and requirements, such as seafloor contact detection and salmon excluders. The bill seeks to increase the transparency and public participation of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council. Additionally, it prioritizes ecosystem analyses and salmon life history research through new task forces and partnerships. The legislation also prohibits unsustainable foreign seafood imports and establishes a fund to support cleaner fishing technology. Finally, it modernizes electronic monitoring and observer programs to improve data integration and transparency.
Yes· 3 of 8
- Scored +8
Does this better protect air, water and wildlife?
The bill mandates gear performance standards to reduce impacts on marine benthic habitats and reduce bycatch mortality.
- Scored +7
Does this put more money into scientific research?
The bill reconstitutes the Bycatch Reduction Task Force and funds research into salmon life history and ecosystem analysis.
- Scored +6
Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see?
The bill requires Council meetings to be recorded, webcast, and their votes to be made public with member names.
The opposite
- Scored -2
Does this make trade with other countries easier?
The bill prohibits certain foreign seafood imports unless they meet specific national conservation standards.
Who it would affect, and how
Potential Positive Impacts for People
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Habitat and Species Protection: The bill establishes performance standards and gear modifications to reduce the impact of trael gear on the marine benthic habitat and reduce unobserved mortality for important species (Section 2; Section 3).
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Salmon Bycatch Reduction: It requires the use of salmon excluder devices to help reduce bycatch of salmon (Section 5).
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Increased Transparency in Council Processes: The bill requires Council meetings to be recorded or broadcast and mandates that all roll call votes be made public with the names of voting members (Section 4).
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Enhanced Public Participation: The North Pacific Fishery Management Council must update its policy to provide a minimum 4-week comment period before meetings (Section 4).
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Scientific Research and Data Access: The bill reconstitutes the Bycatch Reduction Task Force and funds research into salmon life history, including satellite tagging, with an emphasis on making results and analytical tools publicly accessible (Section 6).
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Support for Fishing Innovation: A Flume Tank Assistance Fund is established to provide grants or financial assistance for testing innovative technology aimed at reducing bycatch and seafloor contact (Section 8).
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Financial Assistance for Gear Upgrades: The Bycatch Mitigation and Habitat Protection Assistance Fund can be used to help fishermen purchase or modify gear and technology (Section 10).
Potential Negative Impacts for People
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Regulatory Burdens and Penalings: Vessels that fail to comply with new gear standards or regulations regarding seafloor contact and salmon excluders are subject to penalties and sanctions under the Magnuson-Stevens Act (Section 2; Section 3; Section 5).
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Increased Equipment Requirements: Applicable vessels may be required to equip themselves with seafloor contact detection systems (Section 2) and salmon excluder devices (Section 5).
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Fishing Restrictions: Regulations may result in reductions in fishing effort or prohibitions on fishing in certain areas to protect the seafloor or juvenile recruitment areas (Section 2).
Groups and Interests Ranking
Every group the model scored this bill for, from -10 to +10. Tap or hover a score for the reason it gave.
- Demographic And Interest Groups
- Would Native Americans be better off under this? — The bill explicitly mandates consultation with Alaska Natives and involves them in salmon life history research partnerships. Would people in rural areas be better off under this? — Protecting marine ecosystems supports the long-term viability of coastal and rural community resources. Would households on low incomes be better off under this? — Protecting salmon species supports subsistence fishing which is vital for many low-income communities in Alaska.
- Environment Energy And Infrastructure
- Does this better protect air, water and wildlife? — The bill mandates gear performance standards to reduce impacts on marine benthic habitats and reduce bycatch mortality.
- Education And Technology
- Does this put more money into scientific research? — The bill reconstitutes the Bycatch Reduction Task Force and funds research into salmon life history and ecosystem analysis.
- Governance And Ideology
- Does this make what the government does easier for the public to see? — The bill requires Council meetings to be recorded, webcast, and their votes to be made public with member names.
- Economy And Finance
- Does this make it easier to run a small business? — The bill provides financial assistance through the Bycatch Mitigation and Habitat Protection Assistance Fund for gear modification and technology.
- National Security And Foreign Policy
- Does this make trade with other countries easier? — The bill prohibits certain foreign seafood imports unless they meet specific national conservation standards.
- Social Issues And Justice
- Is this likely to lift people out of poverty? — By supporting subsistence fishing species through habitat protection, it may indirectly support local food security.
- 7/27/2026
- Referred to the House Committee on Natural Resources.
- Introduced in House