February 13, 2024 — Three tribal governments and an environmental organization on Thursday served notice to federal agencies that they are planning a lawsuit to block a fishing experiment along the seafloor in the northern Bering Sea.
The practice of bottom trawling — sweeping a net to catch fish on or near the seabed — is currently prohibited in the Northern Bering Sea, which is abbreviated in legal documents as NBS. But the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s National Marine Fisheries Service is planning to deploy some commercial trawling gear in selected spots over the coming summers to see what impacts, if any, result to the habitat and the marine life dependent on it.
The research project is called the Northern Bering Sea Effects of Trawling Study, or NBET. It is focused on specific areas north and south of St. Lawrence Island and would potentially simulate effects of commercial harvests.
The plaintiffs planning to sue — tribal governments in Savoonga, Shishmaref and St. Paul, along with the Center for Biological Diversity — said in their notice that the research itself will wreak damage on the ecosystem near the seafloor in what is known as benthic waters while setting up the region for more damage in the future. They also said the agencies have not properly consulted with Native tribes and communities.