VHS Alum Advocates for Sustainable Fishing Practices

Valdez High School alumnus Joshua Duong, in partnership with non-profit organization Salmon State, presented on the effects of industrial trawling on February 11 at the Valdez Civic Center. While living in Valdez, Duong fished and worked the docks as a fishcutter. Over the years, he witnessed changes in the quality and quantity of fish firsthand. This led him to enroll in the University of Alaska Southeast to study fisheries biology after graduating from VHS in 2025. 

“Industrial bottom trawling is destroying our oceans…Whether it was catching flounder off the dock or salmon from the harbor, and of course filleting fish, I truly believe in the importance of change being made so that future generations can enjoy the rich food source of Alaska,” wrote Duong in a Facebook post regarding the event.  

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Fisheries defines “bycatch” as non-target fish, animals, birds, or other sealife that become caught and killed in nets while fishing. Industrial trawlers tow large fishing nets, often as large as a football field, across the ocean floor, catching everything in their path. 

Ryan Astalos, Operations Director for Salmon State, introduced the audience to industrial trawling and bycatch, with a particular focus on Alaskan impacts. “Trawl bycatch is a type of commercial fishing using industrial nets. In Alaska, this catches chinook, chum, halibut, and herring while trying to catch pollock. Pollock is used in fish sticks, McDonald’s fish sandwiches, and imitation crab. These bycatch fish cannot be kept, creating unnecessary waste and ruining the ocean floor,” shared Astalos. 

The evening opened with This is a Story About Salmon, a short film directed by Princess Daazhraii Johnson about Yukon River salmon. In the film, Alaska Natives discuss how their traditional fishing practices have long been under threat. Shrinking salmon populations in one of the last wild salmon runs in the world leads to empty smokehouses and negative impacts on livelihood and culture. 

This is a Story About Salmon also showcases Alaska Natives’ resiliency and advocacy in the face of diminishing salmon. According to one Alaska Native woman interviewed in the documentary, tribes have stewardship practices for the land and the sea that could prevent destruction; while cultivating a place of abundance in return. Duong later shares that king salmon populations, including those in the Yukon River, are negatively affected by the destruction of their ocean habitat by industrial trawling.  

Finally, Ocean, a documentary featuring famed British biologist David Attenborough, explored the importance of protecting Earth’s undersea habitats. For Attenborough, the health of oceans is paramount to the health of the planet. Protecting ocean resources includes banning bottom trawling. “Plowing over a rainforest would cause outrage, but we do it underwater thousands of times per day,” asserts Attenborough. 

Ocean goes on to show not just the beauty of our oceans, but the havoc being wreaked by industrial trawling. Communities across the globe, from the Americas to Africa, report drastic declines in the quality and quantity of fish in recent years. To paraphrase Attenborough, we are draining the life out of our oceans and we are running out of time to save them. 

Both Astalos and Duong encouraged the audience to get involved with advocacy efforts, including contacting government officials and supporting sustainable fishing practices. Astalos encouraged calling for federal regulation and action to ban bottom trawling. Duong shared he’s motivated to study biology and stay in-state to work for sustainable, ethical fishing practices. 

While the future of our oceans may seem bleak, hope is not lost. According to Ocean, parts of the ocean can rejuvenate and repair itself in as little as five years, presenting underwater footage of once-dead kelp forests and coral reefs flourishing once again. Currently, less than 3% of the ocean is protected. However, according to the United Nations, as of January 2026 a transformative international treaty seeks to implement sustainable practices to protect international waters. While further legislation, particularly in the United States, is needed, this treaty is certainly a positive step forward. 

As Attenborough concludes, “If we can save the sea, we can save our world.” 

For more information about industrial bottom trawling and protecting Alaskan waters, visit www.salmonstate.org.