II 

117TH CONGRESS 

1ST SESSION S. 3429 

To establish an Alaska Salmon Research Task Force. 

IN THE SENATE OF THE UNITED STATES 

DECEMBER 16, 2021 

Mr. SULLIVAN (for himself and Ms. MURKOWSKI) introduced the following 

bill; which was read twice and referred to the Committee on Commerce, 

Science, and Transportation 

A BILL 

To establish an Alaska Salmon Research Task Force. 

1 Be it enacted by the Senate and House of Representa2 tives of the United States of America in Congress assembled, 

3 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

4 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Alaska Salmon Re5 search Task Force Act’’. 

6 SEC. 2. PURPOSES. 

7 The purposes of this Act are— 

8 (1) to ensure that Pacific salmon trends in 

9 Alaska regarding productivity and abundance are 

10 characterized and that research needs are identified; 


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1 (2) to prioritize scientific research needs for Pa2 cific salmon in Alaska; 

3 (3) to address the increased variability or de4 cline in Pacific salmon returns in Alaska by creating 

5 a coordinated salmon research strategy; and 

6 (4) to support collaboration and coordination 

7 for Pacific salmon conservation efforts in Alaska. 

8 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

9 It is the sense of Congress that— 

10 (1) salmon are an essential part of Alaska’s 

11 fisheries, including subsistence, commercial, and rec12 reational uses, and there is an urgent need to better 

13 understand the freshwater and marine biology and 

14 ecology of salmon, a migratory species that crosses 

15 many borders, and for a coordinated salmon re16 search strategy to address salmon returns that are 

17 in decline or experiencing increased variability; 

18 (2) salmon are an essential element for the 

19 well-being and health of Alaskans; and 

20 (3) there is a unique relationship between peo21 ple of Indigenous heritage and the salmon they rely 

22 on for subsistence and traditional and cultural prac23 tices. 


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1 SEC. 4. ALASKA SALMON RESEARCH TASK FORCE. 

2 (a) IN GENERAL.—Not later than 90 days after the 

3 date of enactment of this Act, the Secretary of Commerce, 

4 in consultation with the Governor of Alaska, shall convene 

5 an Alaska Salmon Research Task Force (referred to in 

6 this section as the ‘‘Research Task Force’’) to— 

7 (1) review existing Pacific salmon research; 

8 (2) identify applied research needed to better 

9 understand the increased variability and declining 

10 salmon returns in some regions of Alaska; and 

11 (3) support sustainable management of salmon 

12 in Alaska. 

13 (b) COMPOSITION AND APPOINTMENT.— 

14 (1) IN GENERAL.—The Research Task Force 

15 shall be composed of not fewer than 13 and not 

16 more than 19 members, who shall be appointed 

17 under paragraphs (2) and (3). 

18 (2) APPOINTMENT BY SECRETARY.—The Sec19 retary of Commerce shall appoint members to the 

20 Research Task Force as follows: 

21 (A) One representative from each of the 

22 following: 

23 (i) The National Oceanic and Atmos24 pheric Administration who is knowledge25 able about salmon and salmon research efVerDate Sep 11 2014 03:38 Dec 23, 2021 Jkt 029200 PO 00000 Frm 00003 Fmt 6652 Sfmt 6201 E:\BILLS\S3429.IS S3429

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1 forts in Alaska and is from the Alaska Re2 gion. 

3 (ii) The North Pacific Fishery Man4 agement Council. 

5 (iii) The United States section of the 

6 Pacific Salmon Commission. 

7 (B) Not less than 2 and not more than 5 

8 representatives from each of the following cat9 egories, at least 2 of whom shall represent Alas10 ka Natives who possess personal knowledge of, 

11 and direct experience with, subsistence uses in 

12 rural Alaska, to be appointed with due regard 

13 to differences in regional perspectives and expe14 rience: 

15 (i) Residents of Alaska who possess 

16 personal knowledge of, and direct experi17 ence with, subsistence uses in rural Alaska. 

18 (ii) Alaska fishing industry represent19 atives throughout the salmon supply chain, 

20 including from— 

21 (I) directed commercial fishing; 

22 (II) recreational fishing; 

23 (III) charter fishing; 

24 (IV) seafood processors; 


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1 (V) salmon prohibited species 

2 catch (bycatch) users; or 

3 (VI) hatcheries. 

4 (C) 5 representatives who are academic ex5 perts in salmon biology, salmon management, 

6 salmon ecology (marine and freshwater), or 

7 comprehensive marine research planning in the 

8 North Pacific. 

9 (3) APPOINTMENT BY THE GOVERNOR OF ALAS10 KA.—The Governor of Alaska shall appoint to the 

11 Research Task Force one representative from the 

12 State of Alaska who is knowledgeable about the 

13 State of Alaska’s salmon management and research 

14 efforts. 

15 (c) DUTIES.— 

16 (1) REVIEW.—The Research Task Force 

17 shall— 

18 (A) conduct a review of Pacific salmon 

19 science relevant to understanding and managing 

20 salmon returns in Alaska, including an exam21 ination of— 

22 (i) traditional ecological knowledge of 

23 salmon populations and their ecosystems; 

24 (ii) marine carrying capacity and den25 sity dependent constraints, including an 


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1 examination of interactions with other 

2 salmon species, and with forage base in 

3 marine ecosystems; 

4 (iii) life-cycle and stage-specific mor5 tality; 

6 (iv) genetic sampling and categoriza7 tion of population structure within salmon 

8 species in Alaska; 

9 (v) methods for predicting run-timing 

10 and stock sizes; 

11 (vi) oceanographic models that provide 

12 insight into stock distribution, growth, and 

13 survival; 

14 (vii) freshwater, estuarine, and marine 

15 processes that affect survival of smolts; 

16 (viii) climate effects on freshwater and 

17 marine habitats; 

18 (ix) predator/prey interactions be19 tween salmon and marine mammals or 

20 other predators; and 

21 (x) salmon productivity trends in 

22 other regions, both domestic and inter23 national, that put Alaska salmon popu24 lations in a broader geographic context; 

25 and 


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1 (B) identify scientific research gaps in un2 derstanding the Pacific salmon life cycle in 

3 Alaska. 

4 (2) REPORT.—Not later than 1 year after the 

5 date the Research Task Force is convened, the Re6 search Task Force shall submit to the Secretary of 

7 Commerce, the Committee on Commerce, Science, 

8 and Transportation of the Senate, the Committee on 

9 Environment and Public Works of the Senate, the 

10 Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and 

11 Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropria12 tions of the Senate, the Committee on Natural Re13 sources of the House of Representatives, the Sub14 committee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Re15 lated Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations 

16 of the House of Representatives, and the Alaska 

17 State Legislature, and make publicly available, a re18 port— 

19 (A) describing the review conducted under 

20 paragraph (1); and 

21 (B) that includes— 

22 (i) recommendations on filling knowl23 edge gaps that warrant further scientific 

24 inquiry; and 


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1 (ii) findings from the reports of work 

2 groups submitted under subsection 

3 (d)(2)(C). 

4 (d) ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS.— 

5 (1) CHAIRPERSON AND VICE CHAIRPERSON.— 

6 The Research Task Force shall select a Chair and 

7 Vice Chair by vote from among the members of the 

8 Research Task Force. 

9 (2) WORK GROUPS.— 

10 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Research Task 

11 Force— 

12 (i) not later than 30 days after the 

13 date of the establishment of the Research 

14 Task Force, shall establish a work group 

15 focused specifically on salmon returns in 

16 the AYK (Arctic-Yukon-Kuskoskim) re17 gions of Western Alaska; and 

18 (ii) may establish additional regionally 

19 or stock focused work groups within the 

20 Research Task Force, as members deter21 mine appropriate. 

22 (B) COMPOSITION.—Each work group es23 tablished under this subsection shall— 

24 (i) consist of not less than 5 individ25 uals who— 


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1 (I) are knowledgeable about the 

2 stock or region under consideration; 

3 and 

4 (II) need not be members of the 

5 Research Task Force; and 

6 (ii) be balanced in terms of stake7 holder representation, including commer8 cial, recreational, and subsistence fisheries, 

9 as well as experts in statistical, biological, 

10 economic, social, or other scientific infor11 mation as relevant to the work group’s 

12 focus. 

13 (C) REPORTS.—Not later than 9 months 

14 after the date the Research Task Force is con15 vened, each work group established under this 

16 subsection shall submit a report with the work 

17 group’s findings to the Research Task Force. 

18 (3) COMPENSATION.—Each member of the Re19 search Task Force shall serve without compensation. 

20 (4) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT.—The Secretary 

21 of Commerce shall provide such administrative sup22 port as is necessary for the Research Task Force 

23 and its work groups to carry out their duties, includ24 ing support for virtual or in-person participation and 

25 travel expenses. 


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1 (e) FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACT.—The 

2 Federal Advisory Committee Act (5 U.S.C. App.) shall not 

3 apply to the Research Task Force. 

Æ 


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