Dan Sullivan and Mary Peltola clash over salmon in Alaska Senate race

Republican Senator Dan Sullivan and Democratic challenger Mary Peltola are fighting a contentious election in Alaska where the fate of the salmon run has become the deciding factor for voters. The dispute centers on industrial trawling and the resulting loss of fish in western rivers, a conflict that has moved from local smokehouses to national political ads.

Sullivan, the incumbent, has positioned himself as a defender of the state's fishing interests. He recently introduced a bill he describes as the most comprehensive bycatch legislation ever drafted. The measure aims to reduce accidental catch and protect seafloor habitats. Sullivan argues the bill strengthens Alaska's fisheries while maintaining the industry's economic output.

Peltola, an Indigenous candidate from the Kuskokwim Delta, argues that Sullivan's approach is insufficient. She has proposed a ban on factory trawlers, which are the largest vessels in the pollock fleet. Peltola accuses the senator of delaying action until the final hours of the legislative session. She stated that Sullivan reeled in over $300,000 from trawlers before offering a half-hearted solution.

The debate has polarized local communities in the Kuskokwim River region. Evon Waska, who lives at the water's edge, says his drying racks, which are usually full, have been empty for most of the year. He attributes the decline to government agencies closing the river to subsistence fishing while leaving offshore trawlers open. Waska noted that officials close the river to local families first.

Industrial fishing operations have caught 40,000 Alaska salmon so far this year. These fish are caught as bycatch in nets designed to harvest pollock. The pollock harvest is massive, and the salmon waste represents a small percentage of the total tonnage. However, local tribal leaders argue that even a small loss of fish has a disproportionate impact on their ability to feed their communities.

Heather Mann, who leads a trawlers association, contends that removing the pollock industry will not solve the salmon decline. She cites scientific data showing that eliminating pollock trawling would have a minimal impact on restoring salmon runs. Mann says the industry is being used as a political target despite the complex nature of the ecosystem.

In the village of Kwethluk, the physical absence of fish is visible in cold smokehouses that have sat unused through the summer. Mary Nikolai, the tribal president, says the decline is closing out the local workforce. She hopes the close Senate race will draw national attention to the threat facing western Alaska regardless of the final vote count.

The race is expected to be tight, with both candidates spending heavily on television and digital ads that feature footage of rivers and fishing boats. Sullivan's campaign highlights his new legislation, while Peltola's campaign emphasizes the need for a ban on large trawlers. The outcome will determine which party controls the balance of power in the U.S. Senate.

The pollock industry, valued at approximately $1 billion, is based largely in Seattle. The fish is often processed into imitation crab and served in fast food restaurants. The conflict between this industrial sector and the traditional subsistence fishing culture of the Kuskokwim has defined the political tone of the campaign in the state.