Bycatch Reduction and Research Act

Full Title:
Bycatch Reduction and Research Act of 2025

Summary#

This bill directs the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to expand research and testing to reduce bycatch and protect marine benthic (seafloor) habitat in the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands, and Gulf of Alaska. It reconstitutes the Alaska Salmon Research Task Force as the Bycatch Reduction and Research Task Force, adds two academic experts, and exempts the task force from the Federal Advisory Committee Act. The bill requires salmon tagging (for example, satellite tagging) and a competitive grant program to speed up genetic stock identification. NOAA must study how trawl gear affects shallow shelves and benthic habitat and review ecosystem factors that affect important marine species. Interim annual reports and a final report are required within 3 years.

The bill funds a flume tank through a public-private partnership to test gear and technology and creates a Flume Tank Assistance Fund to provide grants for testing prototypes, devices, sensors, and training. It directs NOAA to streamline and create timelines for exempted fishing permits for gear innovation and electronic monitoring pilot projects, hold stakeholder consultations at least every 3 years, and produce a data integration strategy to bring electronic monitoring data into regional science workflows and stock assessments.

The bill reauthorizes the Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program with an explicit appropriation and establishes the Bycatch Mitigation and Habitat Protection Assistance Fund, administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation, to accept donations and provide financial assistance to fishermen to buy or modify gear to reduce bycatch and habitat contact. The Foundation must publish reports on fund use.

What it means for you#

  • Fishermen and vessel owners: The bill creates opportunities to get financial assistance (from a donation-based fund) to buy or modify gear, and it seeks to streamline permits for testing new gear and electronic monitoring.
  • Researchers and industry: NOAA will run tagging studies, genetic analysis grant programs, ecosystem analyses, and build a flume tank for gear testing. There will be grant and testing opportunities and required reports on results.
  • Regional managers and the public: NOAA must publish observer coverage requirements in plain language, hold public consultations at least every 3 years, and provide reports on integrating observer and electronic monitoring data.

Expenses#

  • The bill amends the Magnuson-Stevens Act to authorize $4,000,000 for each of fiscal years 2027 through 2031 for the Bycatch Reduction Engineering Program.
  • The Bycatch Mitigation and Habitat Protection Assistance Fund is established to accept donations and provide financial assistance; it is administered by the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation and is funded by donations rather than a specified federal appropriation in the bill text.
  • No publicly available information on total costs for NOAA research activities, the flume tank construction, administrative costs, or other program funding levels beyond the authorized $4,000,000 per year for the engineering program.

Proponents' View#

No publicly available information.

Opponents' View#

No publicly available information.