S.4938

Bycatch Reduction Act aims to minimize bycatch and habitat impacts in the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, and Gulf of Alaska.

The Bycatch Reduction Act seeks to reduce trawl gear impacts on bycatch and seafloor habitat in the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, and Gulf of Alaska. It establishes gear performance standards, requires seafloor contact detection, and mandates salmon excluder devices for vessels using pelagic trawl gear. The Act also improves transparency and participation in the North Pacific Fishery Management Council process, prioritizes ecosystem analyses, modernizes electronic monitoring, prohibits unsustainable foreign seafood imports, and establishes a Bycatch Mitigation and Habitat Protection.