Kodiak is a diverse, commercial fishing town and its economy is driven by the seafood industry. Kodiak’s trawl fleet helps stabilize processors by delivering large volumes of pollock, cod, flatfish, and rockfish nearly year round. Kodiak has the largest resident seafood processor workforce and approximately half of the vessels that operate in the Central Gulf of Alaska (CGOA) trawl fisheries are homeported in Kodiak. Nearly all of the CGOA fleet ranges in size from 58-99ft, with a few over 100. When not trawl fishing in Kodiak, some vessels also fish in the WGOA, Bering Sea, and West Coast in a variety of other fisheries, even some fixed gear fisheries. Many trawl vessels also support Alaska’s salmon fisheries by acting as tender vessels across Alaska, including in Kodiak, Prince William Sound, Southeast, Bristol Bay, and South Peninsula. Our members know that it takes all fisheries and sectors to keep Alaska’s seafood industry healthy.

The Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act (MSA) of 1976 was a significant turning point in fisheries management, as it extended U.S. jurisdiction over fisheries to 200 miles offshore, effectively halting overfishing by foreign fleets in US waters. The MSA also established the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, which continues to manage our fisheries in partnership with National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and state agencies and as part of a transparent, public process. Alaska’s fisheries management is considered the gold-standard around the world, including our trawl fisheries. We are heavily regulated and depending on the fishery, our vessels have partial coverage or up to 100% observer coverage or electronic monitoring on 100% of pollock trips.

All GOA trawl fisheries hold both Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) and Responsible Fisheries Management (RFM) certifications including: pollock, Pacific cod, Pacific ocean perch, dusky rockfish, northern rockfish, arrowtooth flounder, northern & southern rock sole, rex sole, and flathead sole.

Today, trawl fishing remains a cornerstone of Kodiak’s economy, with ongoing efforts to balance economic benefits with sustainable practices to ensure the long-term health of fish stocks, our coastal communities, and the marine ecosystem.

Vessel Snapshots: