117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3429 

AN ACT 

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, 
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1 SECTION 1. SHORT TITLE. 

2 This Act may be cited as the ‘‘Alaska Salmon Re3 search Task Force Act’’. 

4 SEC. 2. PURPOSES. 

5 The purposes of this Act are— 

6 (1) to ensure that Pacific salmon trends in 

7 Alaska regarding productivity and abundance are 

8 characterized and that research needs are identified; 

9 (2) to prioritize scientific research needs for Pa10 cific salmon in Alaska; 

11 (3) to address the increased variability or de12 cline in Pacific salmon returns in Alaska by creating 

13 a coordinated salmon research strategy; and 

14 (4) to support collaboration and coordination 

15 for Pacific salmon conservation efforts in Alaska. 

16 SEC. 3. SENSE OF CONGRESS. 

17 It is the sense of Congress that— 

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

19 fisheries, including subsistence, commercial, and rec20 reational uses, and there is an urgent need to better 

21 understand the freshwater and marine biology and 

22 ecology of salmon, a migratory species that crosses 

23 many borders, and for a coordinated salmon re24 search strategy to address salmon returns that are 

25 in decline or experiencing increased variability; 
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1 (2) salmon are an essential element for the 

2 well-being and health of Alaskans; and 

3 (3) there is a unique relationship between peo4 ple of Indigenous heritage and the salmon they rely 

5 on for subsistence and traditional and cultural prac6 tices. 

7 SEC. 4. ALASKA SALMON RESEARCH TASK FORCE. 

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

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

10 in consultation with the Governor of Alaska, shall convene 

11 an Alaska Salmon Research Task Force (referred to in 

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

13 (1) review existing Pacific salmon research in 

14 Alaska; 

15 (2) identify applied research needed to better 

16 understand the increased variability and declining 

17 salmon returns in some regions of Alaska; and 

18 (3) support sustainable salmon runs in Alaska. 

19 (b) COMPOSITION AND APPOINTMENT.— 

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

21 shall be composed of not fewer than 13 and not 

22 more than 19 members, who shall be appointed 

23 under paragraphs (2) and (3). 
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1 (2) APPOINTMENT BY SECRETARY.—The Sec2 retary of Commerce shall appoint members to the 

3 Research Task Force as follows: 

4 (A) One representative from each of the 

5 following: 

6 (i) The National Oceanic and Atmos7 pheric Administration who is knowledge8 able about salmon and salmon research ef9 forts in Alaska. 

10 (ii) The North Pacific Fishery Man11 agement Council. 

12 (iii) The United States section of the 

13 Pacific Salmon Commission. 

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

15 representatives from each of the following cat16 egories, at least 2 of whom shall represent Alas17 ka Natives who possess personal knowledge of, 

18 and direct experience with, subsistence uses in 

19 rural Alaska, to be appointed with due regard 

20 to differences in regional perspectives and expe21 rience: 

22 (i) Residents of Alaska who possess 

23 personal knowledge of, and direct experi24 ence with, subsistence uses in rural Alaska. 
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1 (ii) Alaska fishing industry represent2 atives throughout the salmon supply chain, 

3 including from— 

4 (I) directed commercial fishing; 

5 (II) recreational fishing; 

6 (III) charter fishing; 

7 (IV) seafood processors; 

8 (V) salmon prohibited species 

9 catch (bycatch) users; or 

10 (VI) hatcheries. 

11 (C) 5 representatives who are academic ex12 perts in salmon biology, salmon ecology (marine 

13 and freshwater), salmon habitat restoration and 

14 conservation, or comprehensive marine research 

15 planning in the North Pacific. 

16 (3) APPOINTMENT BY THE GOVERNOR OF ALAS17 KA.—The Governor of Alaska shall appoint to the 

18 Research Task Force one representative from the 

19 State of Alaska who is knowledgeable about the 

20 State of Alaska’s salmon research efforts. 

21 (c) DUTIES.— 

22 (1) REVIEW.—The Research Task Force 

23 shall— 
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1 (A) conduct a review of Pacific salmon 

2 science relevant to understanding salmon re3 turns in Alaska, including an examination of— 

4 (i) traditional ecological knowledge of 

5 salmon populations and their ecosystems; 

6 (ii) marine carrying capacity and den7 sity dependent constraints, including an 

8 examination of interactions with other 

9 salmon species, and with forage base in 

10 marine ecosystems; 

11 (iii) life-cycle and stage-specific mor12 tality; 

13 (iv) genetic sampling and categoriza14 tion of population structure within salmon 

15 species in Alaska; 

16 (v) methods for predicting run-timing 

17 and stock sizes; 

18 (vi) oceanographic models that provide 

19 insight into stock distribution, growth, and 

20 survival; 

21 (vii) freshwater, estuarine, and marine 

22 processes that affect survival of smolts; 

23 (viii) climate effects on freshwater and 

24 marine habitats; 
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1 (ix) predator/prey interactions be2 tween salmon and marine mammals or 

3 other predators; and 

4 (x) salmon productivity trends in 

5 other regions, both domestic and inter6 national, that put Alaska salmon popu7 lations in a broader geographic context; 

8 and 

9 (B) identify scientific research gaps in un10 derstanding the Pacific salmon life cycle in 

11 Alaska. 

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

13 date the Research Task Force is convened, the Re14 search Task Force shall submit to the Secretary of 

15 Commerce, the Committee on Commerce, Science, 

16 and Transportation of the Senate, the Committee on 

17 Environment and Public Works of the Senate, the 

18 Subcommittee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and 

19 Related Agencies of the Committee on Appropria20 tions of the Senate, the Committee on Natural Re21 sources of the House of Representatives, the Sub22 committee on Commerce, Justice, Science, and Re23 lated Agencies of the Committee on Appropriations 

24 of the House of Representatives, and the Alaska 
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1 State Legislature, and make publicly available, a re2 port— 

3 (A) describing the review conducted under 

4 paragraph (1); and 

5 (B) that includes— 

6 (i) recommendations on filling knowl7 edge gaps that warrant further scientific 

8 inquiry; and 

9 (ii) findings from the reports of work 

10 groups submitted under subsection 

11 (d)(2)(C). 

12 (d) ADMINISTRATIVE MATTERS.— 

13 (1) CHAIRPERSON AND VICE CHAIRPERSON.— 

14 The Research Task Force shall select a Chair and 

15 Vice Chair by vote from among the members of the 

16 Research Task Force. 

17 (2) WORK GROUPS.— 

18 (A) IN GENERAL.—The Research Task 

19 Force— 

20 (i) not later than 30 days after the 

21 date of the establishment of the Research 

22 Task Force, shall establish a work group 

23 focused specifically on the research needs 

24 associated with salmon returns in the AYK 
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1 (Arctic-Yukon-Kuskokwim) regions of 

2 Western Alaska; and 

3 (ii) may establish additional regionally 

4 or stock focused work groups within the 

5 Research Task Force, as members deter6 mine appropriate. 

7 (B) COMPOSITION.—Each work group es8 tablished under this subsection shall— 

9 (i) consist of not less than 5 individ10 uals who— 

11 (I) are knowledgeable about the 

12 stock or region under consideration; 

13 and 

14 (II) need not be members of the 

15 Research Task Force; and 

16 (ii) be balanced in terms of stake17 holder representation, including commer18 cial, recreational, and subsistence fisheries, 

19 as well as experts in statistical, biological, 

20 economic, social, or other scientific infor21 mation as relevant to the work group’s 

22 focus. 

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

24 after the date the Research Task Force is con25 vened, each work group established under this 
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1 subsection shall submit a report with the work 

2 group’s findings to the Research Task Force. 

3 (3) COMPENSATION.—Each member of the Re4 search Task Force shall serve without compensation. 

5 (4) ADMINISTRATIVE SUPPORT.—The Secretary 

6 of Commerce shall provide such administrative sup7 port as is necessary for the Research Task Force 

8 and its work groups to carry out their duties, which 

9 may include support for virtual or in-person partici10 pation and travel expenses. 

11 (e) FEDERAL ADVISORY COMMITTEE ACT.—The 

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

13 apply to the Research Task Force. 

14 SEC. 5. DEFINITION OF PACIFIC SALMON. 

15 In this Act, the term ‘‘Pacific salmon’’ means salmon 

16 that originates in Alaskan waters. 

Passed the Senate December 14, 2022. 

Attest: 

Secretary. 

117TH CONGRESS 

2D SESSION S. 3429 

AN ACT 

To establish an Alaska Salmon Research Task 

Force.