Trawl-Free Table Podcast
The Trawl-Free Table Podcast is a limited series that accompanies our new Trawl-Free Table column. Hosted by Fish Alaska’s Publisher, Melissa Norris, and co-hosted by Homer-based Captain David Bayes, this podcast digs into the issue of trawler bycatch and its impact on Alaska’s fisheries with the depth and passion the topic deserves.
David Bayes brings decades of experience as a sportfishing charter captain, a biology degree, a past presidency of the Alaska Charter Association, and a grassroots movement he built from the ground up. As founder of the Stop Alaska Trawler Bycatch Facebook group, David has spent five years building one of the most powerful platforms for bycatch awareness and advocacy in the state, bringing these critical conversations to the forefront of the Alaska fisheries debate.
If these issues matter to you, this is your podcast. Subscribe to our channels, like the episodes you connect with, and leave a comment on the shows. Your engagement helps spread the word, grows our reach, and keeps this important conversation alive. The fish need a voice and together we are it.
Support the fight against trawling in Alaska for free: just Like, Comment, and Subscribe to our episodes. Your engagement helps spread these educational messages to a wider audience.
YouTube | Apple Podcasts | Spotify
Coming Soon! Interviews with Alaska’s Gubernatorial Candidates
All candidates invited to come on and talk with David and Melissa about trawl fishing in Alaska. Email Melissa Norris to schedule.
Tom Begich | Fisheries Management & the Alaska Governor’s Race
Tom Begich is a gubernatorial candidate and longtime Alaska public servant who joins Melissa and David to discuss where he stands on fisheries management in Alaska. Begich supports a ban on trawl in Alaska waters and calls out a system where subsistence, sport, and small-scale commercial fishermen bear the heaviest burden for an industry that has yet to prove it can operate sustainably. Hear his full position. Listen in and join the conversation.
As a 501(c)(3) entity, SalmonState does not support or oppose any candidate running for elected office.
Linda Behnken | Commercial Fishing for Conservation
Linda Behnken is a southeast Alaska commercial fisherman, Executive Director of the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association, originator of the Alaskans Own CSF program, and past board member of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council. She joins Melissa and David to discuss the current fight in the Gulf of Alaska, where trawling bycatch caps have not kept pace with declining halibut populations. Every other sector adjusts to abundance. Trawling does not and the stocks are paying the price. Listen in and speak up.
Linda also graciously shared her grilled black cod recipe with the Trawl-Free Table. Find it here.
Chris Miller | Alaska’s First Notable Trawl-Free Restaurant: The Kannery
Chris Miller, one owner of The Kannery Restaurant in Homer, is running one of Alaska’s only trawl-free restaurants and he joins Melissa to talk about what that actually means. The Kannery sources their seafood and as much produce as possible from local boats and small Alaska businesses. Chris and Melissa question whether seafood labels tell the whole story, and why the bycatch and sustainability conversation rarely makes it to consumers outside Alaska. A great episode for anyone who wants to vote with their fork. Listen in and leave a comment.
Don’t miss the Trawl-free recipe shared by The Kannery.
Tim Bristol | SalmonState backs the fight for Alaska’s fish
Tim Bristol, Director of SalmonState and Trawl-Free Table sponsor, joins Melissa for a candid look at the state of Alaska’s salmon. There is good news, and there is deeply concerning news. Every sector of Alaska fishing is being asked to sacrifice except one: trawling. As Tim puts it, the conservation versus commerce scales are not balanced in salmon’s favor right now. Without healthy salmon runs, there is no fishery at all. Listen in, learn how you can help, leave a comment, and keep the conversation going.
David Bayes | Ground Zero—The man behind the Stop Alaskan Trawler Bycatch Facebook group
What is trawling, which species does it impact, and who is really paying the price? David and Melissa break down the basics, the current regulations, and why the majority of the profits leave Alaska while the damage stays here. How can you avoid trawl caught fish at the grocery store and how can concerned Alaskans make their voices heard? The politics are complicated. The conversation is necessary. Listen in and tell us what you think in the comments.
Thank you to our Trawl-Free Table Sponsors:
Represent the cause and spark conversation with Trawl-Free Table gear! Bundle with a subscription to read the Trawl Free Table column in Fish Alaska magazine or pick up the hoodie on its own.
Melissa Norris
About the Author Melissa Norris
Melissa Norris is the founder and Publisher of Fish Alaska and Hunt Alaska magazines. She has over two decades of experience fishing all over Alaska, writing about her time in the field, testing gear, planning trips and cooking and harvesting wild Alaska seafood. In addition to writing tons of content for the magazine and our website, Melissa heads our digital platforms and leads the design team.