Alaska’s Collapsing Fisheries

Photo: Mike/Flickr

This story by Adam Federman in Politico is worth the time to read. Federman details the current issues facing the Alaskan fishing scene, focusing mostly on the battle between direct and trawl fisheries.

Direct fisheries target a species with a specific set of tackle, like crab pots. Trawl fisheries drag huge nets across the ocean floor, catching millions of pounds of fish they can’t legally harvest, and damaging the delicate marine ecosystem at the same time.

The issue is complex and detailed, but Federman does an excellent job of breaking down the problems and identifying potential solutions. You can read his story here.