UPDATE: NMFS has suspended this experiment in response to public concern. Thanks for speaking up!
From SalmonState:
In an effort to “research” the effects of commercial bottom-trawling activity on the seafloor and animals that live there, the Alaska Fisheries Science Center proposes to drag trawl gear, or as they put it “conduct a commercial bottom-trawl research project” in the Northern Bering Sea Climate Resilience Area. Under this project named, Northern Bering Sea Effects of Trawling Study, or 'NETS' they will use research trawl gear to test whether bottom-dwelling species recover and, if they do, what changes there are one or more years after intentionally damaging their habitat.
Bottom trawling is proven to be destructive to the ocean floor and contributes to millions of non-target species being caught in the huge nets that are dragged on the sea bottom. Bottom trawling releases millions of tons of carbon dioxide from the seabed after disrupting it. Compounding these issues in an area that is supposed to be designated as a climate resilience area will have negative impacts on this important ecosystem. This research is heavy handed and may well be a Trojan horse tactic to pave the way for more trawling.
In response to the NETS proposal and lack of consultation with Alaska Native Tribes, a lawsuit has been brought forward. “As stewards of the Northern Bering Sea, our basic rules of taking only what's needed and giving nature a chance to replenish itself have been practiced for thousands of years,” said Ben Pungowiyi, Tribal Council President for the Native Village of Savoonga. “Nature has a delicate balance, especially the chain underneath where every living organism plays its role. Further alteration of this domain will cause higher mortality impacts.”