United Catcher Boats

10/12/2026

Tools of the Trade | Riblines

A net may be made of mesh, but the mesh isn't doing all the work.

Riblines are the heavy-duty lines that run lengthwise along a trawl net, providing strength and structure from the mouth of the net toward the codend.

As the net moves through the water and comes under load, riblines help support the net and maintain its shape. Think of them almost like the frame of the trawl, adding strength where it's needed while the surrounding mesh does its job.

Their size, material, and placement can vary depending on the design of the net, but their purpose is an important one: adding structure to a very large piece of fishing gear as it moves through the water.

It's another example of how a trawl isn't simply a big net. Every line, panel, and piece of mesh is designed to play a specific role in how the gear performs.

10/10/2026

Last year, we took you aboard the F/V Progress with Captain Maverick Blake, sharing a firsthand look at Alaska’s po***ck fishery and what was a clean fishing trip.

But no two fishing trips are the same.

When APFA joined Captain Maverick aboard the Progress in July this year, the experience was very different. Their account offers a firsthand look at what happens when salmon are encountered, the decisions captains make on the water and what it takes to find cleaner fishing grounds.

It’s another perspective on the same vessel, the same captain and the realities of fishing in the Bering Sea.

Worth the read.

After nearly 24 hours searching for po***ck in the Bering Sea, a salmon encounter forced a difficult decision. A firsthand account of the choices captains make, the challenges of salmon avoidance and the science behind understanding bycatch.

10/09/2026

Meet Alaska po***ck! This National Seafood Month, we're following po***ck from the Bering Sea all the way to your dinner plate.

Alaska po***ck are an important part of the Bering Sea ecosystem. Throughout their lives, they grow, reproduce and play a vital role in the marine food web, both as predators and prey.

Scientists study po***ck throughout their life cycle, monitoring everything from year classes and recruitment (young fish joining the population) to reproduction, growth and survival.

All of that research helps scientists understand the health of the population and informs decisions about how much can be sustainably harvested each year through the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council’s science-based management process.

There's already quite a story behind your seafood before it ever leaves the water!

Next stop: The Catch!

10/08/2026

Alaska’s catch limits are backed by a robust scientific process, from year-round data collection to careful analysis and independent review.

In this conversation with NOAA Fisheries, Acting Alaska Fisheries Science Center Director Dr. Jamal Moss walks through that work and shares his priority of strengthening collaboration with fishermen, Alaska Native communities and others who depend on these resources.

Read the full conversation for a fuller picture of the science, people and review process behind Alaska’s fisheries management.

10/07/2026

Our stake in healthy fisheries goes well beyond po***ck.

The newly announced crab quotas bring encouraging news for Bristol Bay red king crab and bairdi crab, with higher harvest limits for the coming season.

While UCB does not represent the crab sector, our member companies participate in many fisheries, including crab and own approximately 20% of the crab quota. Their crews, businesses and communities have a direct stake in healthy crab populations.

Research presented to the North Pacific Fishery Management Council’s Crab Plan Team is also examining hybrids between bairdi and snow crab and what they mean for stock assessments and management. This work by NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center highlights how much there is to understand about our shared ecosystem. Want to dive deeper? We’ve linked the report in the comments.

A shared ocean gives us plenty of reasons to root for each other.

10/06/2026

An election lasts a season. The damage from poorly informed fisheries policy can last much longer.

This New York Times article looks at how Alaska’s fisheries have become a campaign target, with fishermen caught in the middle.

UCB represents catcher vessels that harvest po***ck, Pacific cod and Pacific whiting and deliver their fish for processing. Calls to ban “trawling” lump different fleets together, putting fishing crews, processing jobs and coastal communities at risk.

The article also points to studies suggesting that ending trawl bycatch would increase salmon returns to western Alaska rivers by a mere single-digit percentage. As Curry Cunningham, a quantitative ecologist at the University of Alaska Fairbanks, explains, trawling is “just one piece of the puzzle.”

Reducing bycatch remains a priority. But when campaign slogans replace science-based management, other causes of salmon declines can go unaddressed, and communities and fishermen suffer.

Read the article below. If you hit the paywall, check whether NYT offers you a free seven-day trial.

In the battle for an Alaska Senate seat and the governor’s mansion, the oil-dependent state’s declining fisheries loom large, but no one wants to look at the biggest culprit, climate change.

10/05/2026

You may not agree with everything the Alaska Landmine publishes. You may not agree with every perspective in this video. That’s okay.

What deserves recognition is the time and effort that went into going directly to the source, asking questions, and hearing firsthand from the people actually involved in Alaska’s Po***ckTrawl fisheries.

There is no shortage of opinions about fisheries, especially in today’s political environment. Firsthand perspectives and a willingness to dig deeper than the talking points and campaign slogans matter.

We encourage you to watch Trawling for Votes: An Alaska Political Fight, engage with the content, listen to the perspectives presented, and come to your own conclusions.

Good conversations start with being willing to listen and learn.

10/01/2026

October is National Seafood Month, a time to celebrate seafood and the people, communities and fisheries that bring it to our plates.

But before seafood reaches a restaurant, grocery store or kitchen, there’s a much bigger origin story.

It starts with healthy fish stocks and the science used to understand and monitor them. It continues with fishermen on the water, working waterfronts and processors on shore. And eventually, it becomes the healthy, delicioius seafood enjoyed by millions of people across the country and around the world.

This month, we’re following that journey from the beginning.

Because before seafood reaches your plate, Seafood Starts Here.

09/30/2026

Alaska’s State & Federal fisheries are getting plenty of attention right now, both in Alaska and nationally. That makes it a good time to understand where fisheries decisions are actually discussed and how the public can participate.

The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) and Advisory bodies (SSC & AP) meet next week, October 5-13, and the process is open to everyone.

Can’t make it in person to Anchorage? You can also attend online. Find the agenda, read the science and supporting materials, submit public comment, sign up to testify, or simply listen and learn.

Pro tip: Even seasoned Council veterans can get lost in the alphabet soup of fisheries acronyms. The Council has a helpful acronym guide, and we will put that link in the comments.

You do not need to be an expert to participate. Take a look, follow along, and get to know the process.

Meeting ID: 814 5113 0091     Or join by phone: Dial (for higher quality, dial a number based on your current location): US: +1 346 248 7799 or +1 408 638 0968 or +1 669 900 6833 or +1 253 215 8782

09/29/2026

Fishing for Words | Water Column

There's a lot happening between the surface of the ocean and the seafloor.

In fisheries science, the water column refers to the vertical stretch of water from the surface down to the seafloor.

Different species, and even different life stages of the same species, can use different parts of the water column. Where fish are found can shift with factors like food availability, temperature, light, depth, and time of year.

Understanding what's happening throughout the water column gives scientists a more complete picture of where fish are, how they use their environment, and how those patterns may change over time.

Because the ocean isn't just what's happening at the surface or on the seafloor. There's an entire world in between.