Nathan Strout

California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed several changes to the state’s Dungeness crab fishery into law, adopting recommendations made by the Dungeness Crab Task Force (DC TF). The DCTF was established to give commercial fishers a path for suggesting regulatory changes to the state’s Dungeness crab management. Introduced by State Senator Mike McGuire, SB 1393 applied those recommendations to the law. “SB 1393 has been long thought out… Read More

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) has awarded USD 2 million (EUR 1.8 million) for Alaska pollock. Under the 28 September contract, Braintree, Massachusetts, U.S.A.-based Channel Fish Processing will supply 4,500 cases of frozen Alaska Pollock fillets for USD 1.13 million (EUR 1 million). New Beford, Massachusetts-based Pier Fish Co. was the other winner of an award, receiving USD 878,940 (EUR 783,406) to supply another 2,700 cases of… Read More

The Pacific Fishery Management Council (PFMC) has proposed merging two Pacific sardine subpopulations into a single stock, eliminating a rebuilding plan adopted and set in motion last year. Currently, the federal government considers there to be two Pacific sardine stocks along the U.S. West Coast – a northern subpopulation and a southern subpopulation. NOAA Fisheries first listed the northern subpopulation as overfished in 2019. After a 2021… Read More

National and regional partnership plans (NRPPs) are likely to be a key element of the European Union’s future approach to fisheries, according to the Council of the European Union. On 29 September, the council agreed to a partial negotiating position laying out how it wants to support the bloc’s Common Fisheries Policy (CFP), maritime and aquaculture policies, and the European Ocean Pact. With the bargaining mandate agreed upon, the… Read More

In response to the destruction of a massive cold storage facility in Boyle Heights, Los Angeles, California, U.S.A., in June, California Governor Gavin Newsom has signed into law two bills raising fines and emergency requirements for cold storage providers. “Boyle Heights showed us the lasting impact a major facility emergency can have on a community. These laws strengthen the tools, resources, and accountability needed to protect residents… Read More

Norwegian private equity firm Bluefront Equity has announced its latest seafood investment: becoming the largest shareholder of Oslo, Nowway-based hatchery system supplier Alvestad Marin. “This is an important and highly specialized segment of the aquaculture industry that Bluefront looks forward to developing together with Alvestad Marin,” Bluefront Investment Manager Johan Kostveit said in a release. “Alvestad Marin aligns perfectly with… Read More

The New Jersey Assembly voted in favor of updating the state’s legal definition of aquaculture to include the construction of facilities and related structures like hatcheries – a move lawmakers say is necessary to attract aquaculture investment. “The shellfish aquaculture industry is a significant part of our state’s coastal economy, including down near me in Atlantic City,” New Jersey Assemblywoman Maureen Rowan (D-Atlantic) said in… Read More

The Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council (WPRFMC) is developing an experimental fishing permit (EFP) for bottom fishing in Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monument to gather information supporting sustainable fishing efforts in the region. The move is the latest of the council’s efforts to enable commercial fishing in several Pacific national marine monuments and sanctuaries, as directed by U.S. President Donald Trump. Since… Read More

Commercial fishing industry representative group Europêche and the European Transport Workers’ Federation (ETF) have called on European officials and national governments to extend fuel aid for the bloc’s fishers, ensuring they can continue operating amid elevated fuel prices. “The persisting high costs of fuel represent a concrete risk to employment and coastal communities. If nothing is done to counter these high fuel costs, fishers… Read More

U.S. Congress has sent the Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act to President Donald Trump to be signed into law after the Senate agreed to changes made to the legislation in the U.S. House of Representatives. The legislation aims to enable law enforcement to test where seafood products originated from, helping officers suss out products harvested through illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing. The bill directs NOAA Fisheries… Read More