Concerns over declining salmon stocks and industrial fishing are becoming major issues in Alaska’s Senate election, as Democrat Mary Peltola seeks to unseat Republican Senator Dan Sullivan in a race that could affect control of the United States Senate.
Peltola is making the fishing industry a central part of her campaign, arguing that large commercial trawlers from outside Alaska are harming local fisheries and taking profits away from fishing communities.
The development was reported by Newsweek in an article by Associate News Editor Dan Gooding, who noted that fishing concerns have become increasingly important to voters in the state ahead of the November midterm elections.
Alaska depends heavily on fishing for jobs, food and income. The industry supports not only fishermen but also seafood processors, transport companies, equipment suppliers and businesses in coastal communities.
For many rural residents, salmon is also an important source of food and part of their cultural identity. However, some fishing communities have experienced declining catches, restrictions on fishing and falling incomes.
Peltola, whose campaign slogan is “Fish, Family, Freedom,” blames large industrial trawlers for contributing to the problem. She wants factory trawling banned, bycatch reduced and electronic monitoring of fishing vessels expanded.
Bycatch occurs when fishing vessels unintentionally catch fish or other marine species they are not targeting.
“Strong fisheries are the lifeblood of our economy, communities, and families,” Peltola told Newsweek, calling for stronger measures to protect Alaska’s fishing industry.
Sullivan, who has served in the Senate since 2014, argues that the problems facing the industry have several causes and require better scientific research and monitoring.
In June, he introduced the Bycatch Reduction Act, which seeks to reduce unintended catches and protect the seabed in the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska. The proposed law also seeks to restrict unsustainable foreign seafood imports and provide assistance for protecting marine habitats.
However, Aubrey Wieber, executive director of the 907 Initiative, an Alaska political watchdog that has campaigned against Sullivan, told Newsweek that fishing concerns have grown from complaints by ordinary residents into a major political issue.
He also pointed to the high cost of living in Alaska, where some rural residents pay as much as $26 per gallon for petrol, while heating fuel and groceries are also expensive.
Wieber said the high cost of transporting goods into the state adds to the financial pressure on households.
Not everyone agrees that industrial trawling is responsible for the decline in salmon stocks.
Matt Alward, president of the United Fishermen of Alaska, told Newsweek that changing environmental conditions in the oceans and rivers are major factors affecting salmon populations.
He also argued that trawl fishing has operated alongside other fishing activities for decades and is subject to extensive regulation and monitoring.
Alward credited Sullivan and Alaska’s congressional delegation with supporting the creation of an Office of Seafood within the United States Department of Agriculture. He said the initiative could help fishing businesses gain access to federal assistance programmes.
A Data for Progress poll conducted from October 8 to 16 among 694 likely voters found that three per cent ranked fisheries and bycatch among their top concerns in the midterm elections.
However, a separate poll by the organisation in March 2025 found that 74 per cent of Alaskans supported a federal ban on trawling off the state’s coast, suggesting that the issue could still influence voting decisions.
The election is also facing a legal dispute over the appearance of two candidates named Dan Sullivan on the ballot.
The United States Department of Justice has sued Alaska and election officials over the candidacy of Daniel J. Sullivan Jr., a retired teacher whose name appears alongside that of the incumbent senator.
The lawsuit alleges that the second candidate’s entry into the race was intended to confuse voters and seeks an investigation into whether votes cast for him affected the outcome.
Alaska officials initially attempted to exclude the second candidate, but a trial court rejected the move, and the state Supreme Court upheld that decision.
President Donald Trump, who supports the incumbent senator, has also accused Democrats of trying to confuse voters through the candidacy and has called for legal action.
Alaska’s ranked-choice voting system adds another dimension to the contest, as candidates must appeal to a broad range of voters, including independents.
With the fishing industry, the cost of living and the ballot dispute shaping the campaign, the outcome could determine whether Peltola returns to national office and whether Democrats gain a valuable Senate seat.
The result could also influence which party controls the Senate for the remainder of Trump’s second term.
