Nathan Strout

U.S. lawmakers in Congress have introduced legislation to improve research into removing carbon dioxide from the ocean, potentially through aquaculture practices like seaweed farming. “Carbon dioxide removal is an essential tool in the fight against the climate crisis, in addition to being a driver of American innovation,” U.S. Senator Brian Schatz (D-Hawaii) said in a release. “Our bill will encourage research into mCDR [marine carbon… Read More

Maryland officials have formally requested the U.S. federal government issue a fishery resource disaster designation for the state’s commercial oyster fishery, which has struggled in the face of icy weather and a massive sewage spill this season. The state’s commercial oystermen had already been struggling with an unusually cold winter that produced icy conditions in the Chesapeake Bay, preventing them from getting out on the water and… Read More

A U.S. federal judge has ordered managers to maintain hydropower dam operations on the Columbia and Snake rivers at effectively the status quo as part of ongoing efforts to restore salmon populations in the Pacific Northwest. “This ruling establishes dam operations similar to those over the past five years, with some modest adjustments in spill and reservoir elevations to reduce the harm to migrating salmon and steelhead,” Oregon Governor… Read More

A Louisiana Department of Fish and Wildlife (LDFW) agent cited two individuals for taking more than the legally allowed amount of immature female crabs in Lafourche Parish, Louisiana, U.S.A. On 16 February, an LDFW agent on patrol in Little Lake observed 48-year-old Cut Off resident Hong Tran tending commercial crab traps. While conducting a compliance check, the agent discovered Tran possessed over the legal limit of immature female crabs.… Read More

The U.S. state of Texas has filed a lawsuit over chemical manufacturer Dow Chemical’s alleged pollution in the Gulf of Mexico – currently referred to as the Gulf of America by the U.S. government – but the state government’s effort could limit the impact of a similar forthcoming lawsuit planned by a conservationist and commercial shrimper. According to the 13 February lawsuit, a plastics manufacturing plant operated jointly by Union… Read More

A survey produced by the International Labour Organization (ILO) identified several ongoing issues for migrant workers in the seafood and fishing sectors of Asian countries, which the group claims highlights the need for international labor protections. “Important advances have been achieved in increasing adherence to international labor standards in the fishing and seafood processing industries in recent years,” EU Ambassador to Thailand… Read More

The European Commission has opened up a call for evidence period on its Vision 2040 policy as it works toward a 15-year framework for fisheries and aquaculture. European Commissioner for Fisheries and Oceans Costas Kadis called for establishing a 2040 Vision for the fisheries sector in 2024, suggesting that that the European Union needs to ensure the industry’s “long-term competitiveness and sustainability.” “The E.U. fisheries and… Read More

As part of their ongoing lawsuit to block Spain’s allowance of bottom trawling in marine protected areas, conservation NGOs Oceana and ClientEarth presented their evidence about the practice before Spain’s National High Court 19 February. The two groups sued the Spanish government in 2024, alleging that the nation was systematically allowing commercial fishers to conduct bottom trawling in marine protected areas (MPA), which they argue is… Read More

Jacksonville, Florida, U.S.A.-based Beaver Street Fisheries has rebranded as BSF in a move to highlight its global sourcing and national distribution. "This is not a rebrand for the sake of vanity," BSF Executive Vice President Mark Frisch said in a release. "It's a recognition of how many of our customers already know us and the strong relationships we've built across the industry. BSF better reflects the full scope of who we are today as a… Read More

NOAA Fisheries has identified 77 locations in the Gulf of Alaska that could be suitable for aquaculture operations, following up on an order issued by U.S. President Donald Trump in 2020. “Alaska has more coastline than the rest of the nation combined, and we should be using that resource to its full potential,” Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy said in a release. “This atlas helps identify where aquaculture makes sense in our state waters. It… Read More