S.4938

Bycatch Reduction Act aims to minimize bycatch and habitat impacts in North Pacific fisheries.

The Bycatch Reduction Act seeks to reduce bycatch and seafloor habitat impacts in the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, and Gulf of Alaska. It mandates the North Pacific Fishery Management Council to establish gear performance standards and requires vessels to use seafloor contact detection systems. The Act also requires vessels to use salmon excluder devices to minimize salmon bycatch. It modernizes fisheries monitoring and improves observer program transparency. Additionally, the Act prohibits the importation of seafood from foreign vessels that do not meet U.S. conservation standards.