Bycatch Reduction and Research Act of 2025

This bill directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to expand an Alaska salmon research task force and to fund research on salmon migration, genetic testing of salmon caught by accident, and how trawl fishing gear affects the sea floor in Alaska waters. It requires NOAA to partner with others to build a flume tank for testing fishing gear and to set up a fund that gives grants for testing new gear designed to reduce bycatch. It directs NOAA to speed up permits for electronic monitoring and new gear, hold public input sessions at least every 3 years, and publish observer coverage rules online. It authorizes $4 million per year for fiscal years 2027 through 2031 for a federal bycatch reduction program and creates a donation-based fund, run by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, to help fishermen buy or modify gear that reduces bycatch.

Full text and official record on Congress.gov

Sponsors

• Dan Sullivan Republican sponsor
• 1 cosponsors