Nick Begich Claimed He Opposed Trawling And Would Not Accept Funds From Trawling Fleets, But Accepted At Least $5,000 From Pro-Trawling Entities And Individuals In 2022

Begich Opposed Bottom Trawl Practices, Claiming That They Harm Seabed Ecosystems. “We must end bottom trawl practices in Alaska that destroy the seabed ecosystem and impact non-targeted species. The health of our marine environment is critical as a means of ensuring that Alaska’s eternally renewable resource - our fish - remains in place for generations to come.” [Facebook, Nick Begich, 8/30/24]

Image: see original report, p. 163

[Facebook, Nick Begich, 8/30/24]

Begich Claimed That He Would Not Accept Funds From Trawling Fleets. “1. To avoid even the appearance of conflict, I will not accept funds from the trawl fleet, and if such funds are inadvertently accepted, notify us and they will be promptly returned. 2. We must end any practice that leads to the destruction of our seabed ecosystem. 3. Our long term goal must be to eliminate bycatch.” [Facebook, Nick Begich, 6/19/24]

Image: see original report, p. 164

[Facebook, Nick Begich, 6/19/24]

August 2022: Begich Accepted $1,500 From Groundfish Forum, “A Fishery Trade Association Representing Five Member Companies Operating 19 Trawl Vessels’”

August 2022: Begich Accepted $1,500.00 From The Groundfish Forum. [Federal Election Commission, Alaskans for Nick Begich, Receipts, Accessed 9/19/24]

Groundfish Forum Was “A Fishery Trade Association Representing Five Member Companies Operating 19 Trawl Vessels.” “Groundfish Forum is a fishery trade association representing five member companies operating 19 trawl vessels that catch and process a variety of Alaskan groundfish species in the federally managed Amendment 80 (A80) fisheries off the coast of Alaska. Our vessels are the largest producers of flatfish and rockfish in the United States, sustainably producing hundreds of millions of meals for consumers across the globe.” [Groundfish Forum, Accessed 9/12/24]

Groundfish Forum Signed Onto A Letter Calling For Rep. Peltola To Withdraw H.R. 8507, The Bottom Trawl Clarity Act. Groundfish Forum Executive Director Chris Woodley undersigned a June 2024 letter to Peltola which opened: “Dear Congresswoman Peltola: We write to express our deep concern regarding H.R. 8507—legislation you have introduced that would create sweeping new federal mandates constraining the effective management of our nation’s fisheries. If enacted, H.R. 8507 would directly harm fishermen and coastal communities in Alaska and throughout our nation, along with countless other people who rely on a healthy domestic seafood sector for food, jobs, and their way of life. We ask you to withdraw this legislation.” [Shrimp Alliance, 6/20/24; U.S. Congress, H.R. 8507, 5/22/24]

July 2022: Begich Accepted $1,000 From Tood Loomis, Who Worked In Government Affairs For Ocean Peace, Inc., Which Opposed Rep. Peltola’s Bottom Trawl Clarity Act

July 2022: Begich Accepted $1,000 From Tood Loomis, Who Worked In Government Affairs For Ocean Peace, Inc. [Federal Election Commission, Alaskans for Nick Begich, Receipts, Accessed 9/19/24]

Ocean Peace, Inc. Signed Onto A Letter Calling For Rep. Peltola To Withdraw H.R. 8507, The Bottom Trawl Clarity Act. Ocean Peace, Inc. Director of Government & Industry Affairs Ruth Christiansen undersigned a June 2024 letter to Peltola which opened: “Dear Congresswoman Peltola: We write to express our deep concern regarding H.R. 8507—legislation you have introduced that would create sweeping new federal mandates constraining the effective management of our nation’s fisheries. If enacted, H.R. 8507 would directly harm fishermen and coastal communities in Alaska and throughout our nation, along with countless other people who rely on a healthy domestic seafood sector for food, jobs, and their way of life. We ask you to withdraw this legislation.” [Shrimp Alliance, 6/20/24; U.S. Congress, H.R. 8507, 5/22/24]

July 2022: Begich Accepted $1,000 From Arne Fuglvog, Who Worked In Government Affairs For Trawler Operator Glacier Fish Company

July 2022: Begich Accepted $1,000 From Arne Fuglvog, Who Worked In Government Affairs For Glacier Fish Co. [Federal Election Commission, Alaskans for Nick Begich, Receipts, Accessed 9/19/24]

Glacier Fish Company Operated A Factory Trawler That Was “The Largest Catcher/Processor Vessel In The US Fleet.” “The factory trawler Alaska Ocean was built by the Blount Marine Corporation in Warren, Rhode Island, in 1981. Alaska Ocean was redesigned by Guido Perla and Associates from Seattle in 1989 and rebuilt by Ulstein Hatlo in Norway in 1990 specifically to catch and process Alaska Pollock and Pacific Whiting. In the summer of 2008, Glacier Fish Company purchased the Alaska Ocean and has successfully completed major improvements of the Factory and Fishmeal plants. The Alaska Ocean is the largest catcher/processor vessel in the US fleet with a capacity to catch and process up to 225 metric tons of frozen finished product daily.” [Glacier Fish Company, Accessed 9/19/24]

Glacier Fish Company Was A “Trawl Company” That Opposed Efforts To Scale Back On Trawling. “On one side are tribal leaders from the Yukon and Kuskokwim […] On the other side are representatives for the trawlers, who generally support tighter bycatch management but say some of the measures favored by tribes could cost them hundreds of millions of dollars — while giving only a tiny boost to the number of salmon returning to Western Alaska rivers. […] ‘We’re really concerned about an action that would have a severe economic impact,’ said Glenn Merrill, director of government affairs at a trawl company called Glacier Fish.” [Alaska Beacon, 4/6/24]

July 2022: Begich Accepted $1,000 From Kristian Uri, A Fisherman Employed By Trawler Operator Fishermen’s Finest, Inc

July 2022: Begich Accepted $1,000 From Kristian Uri, A Fisherman Employed By Fishermen’s Finest, Inc. [Federal Election Commission, Alaskans for Nick Begich, Receipts, Accessed 9/19/24]

Fishermen’s Finest Operated At Least One Trawler Vessel As Of September 2024. [Fishermen’s Finest, Acccessed 9/19/24]

October 2022: Begich Accepted $500 From An Employee Of The At-Sea Processors Association, One Of “The Two Leading Trawl Industry Trade Groups”

October 2022: Begich Accepted $500 From Matt Tinning, Director Of Sustainability And Public Affairs For The At-Sea Processors Association. [Federal Election Commission, Alaskans for Nick Begich, Receipts, Accessed 9/19/24]

The At-Sea Processors Association Was One Of “The Two Leading Trawl Industry Trade Groups.” “the two leading trawl industry trade groups, the At-Sea Processors Association and United Catcher Boats.” [KUCB Local News, 7/31/24]

The At-Sea Processors Association Promoted The “Mid-Water Trawl Alaska Pollock Fishery.” “The mid-water trawl Alaska pollock fishery is the nation’s largest fishery. In fact, the Alaska pollock fishery is one of the largest fisheries in the world. The ability of our vessels to harvest, process, package and freeze our catch within hours of harvest allows us to produce affordable seafood products of the highest quality. The food products we produce include fillets, surimi, and fish roe. Fish meal and fish oil is produced from non-flesh parts of the fish we catch.” [At-Sea Processors Association, Accessed 9/19/24]

The At-Sea Processors Association Opposed Rep. Peltola’s Bottom Trawl Clarity Act. “More than 50 U.S. seafood organizations and companies have signed a letter calling on U.S. Rep. Mary Peltola (D-Alaska) to immediately withdraw the Bottom Trawl Clarity Act – legislation she introduced in May that could block off large sections of the ocean from trawling gear. ‘This bill threatens seafood sector jobs in Alaska and across the United States,’ At-Sea Processors Association Executive Director Stephanie Madsen said. ‘More than 1.5 million Americans have jobs that depend on commercial seafood, and they deserve better than the politicization of fisheries science and management.’” [Seafood Source, 6/27/24]

Alaska’s Trawler Bycatch Included Hundreds Of Thousands Of Chum Salmon And Tens Of Thousands Of King Salmon Annually, Killing Fish

Alaska’s Trawler Bycatch Included Hundreds Of Thousands Of Chum Salmon And Tens Of Thousands Of King Salmon Annually, Killing Fish. “Bycatch occurs in every fishery that targets a specific species, but while seeking pollock and cod in a billion-dollar industry, Alaska’s trawlers inadvertently catch tens of thousands of king salmon and hundreds of thousands of chum salmon in their nets each year, according to observations by the National Marine Fisheries Service. By law, the salmon must be returned to the ocean, but fish die in the process. The amount of bycatch fluctuates from year to year and has fallen in the recent past, but the sheer numbers of fish caught by trawlers has aroused public ire. A Facebook group calling itself ‘Stop Alaskan Trawler Bycatch’ now boasts almost 20,000 members, and various groups have called on the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council — which regulates fisheries more than 3 miles off Alaskan shores — to more tightly cap bycatch.” [Alaska Beacon, 8/10/22]

2020: Alaska’s Trawler Bycatch Was 26,000 King Salmon – One-Tenth Of The Year’s Commercial Harvest. “Alaska’s commercial fishermen have been speaking out against big trawlers for years, complaining that the large vessels in federal waters are scooping up mature and juvenile fish. The regional council that manages federal fisheries recently heard from hundreds concerned about the number of salmon and other species that end up as bycatch in trawl nets.[…]Federal fisheries data shows trawlers in the North Pacific took about a tenth of the chinook — or king salmon — caught by Alaska’s commercial salmon fleet last year. And those numbers are tracking the same this year. But none of that catch happens on purpose. Preliminary ADF&G data shows about 263,000 kings were commercially harvested last year statewide. As of April 15, bycatch in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska areas for 2021 was around 16,000 fish, over six percent of last year’s statewide commercial harvest. Last year’s trawler bycatch was 26,000 kings, or about a tenth of the 2020 commercial chinook harvest in-state.” [KTOO, 4/22/21]