Nathan Strout

A U.S. representative has introduced a bill to reform the U.S. H-2A visa process to ensure aquaculture businesses and seafood processors can bring in temporary workers under the visas. On 30 June, U.S. Representative Glenn Thompson (R-Pennsylvania) introduced the Securing Agriculture’s Workforce Act of 2026, legislation that would make several changes to the H-2A visa process. “It’s time to bring the H-2A program into the 21st century,”… Read More

The European Commission has opened infringement procedures against both Italy and Portugal over the countries’ failures to comply with the bloc's Fishery Control Regulation. On 7 July, the commission announced it had sent formal notices to both countries highlighting several fisheries data issues. “Both cases concern the failure to comply with fisheries control obligations to remedy shortcomings identified in national fisheries control… Read More

NOAA Fisheries has opened a public comment period on Amendment 62, a multi-year plan that would increase red grouper catch limits for the Gulf of Mexico by 53 percent in the first year. At the same time, the Gulf Council is pushing forward with a follow-up plan that would establish a three-year pilot program that would set aside some of the commercial catch for the Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) program. “The most recent stock assessment of… Read More

Hawai‘i Governor Josh Green has signed into law the establishment of an Office of Marine Affairs, which will be dedicated to managing the state’s blue economy. “It’s difficult to articulate just how important the ocean is to our people,” Green said following a 6 July bill signing. “That relationship is at the heart of Hawai‘i’s identity, shaping our communities in every way. Protecting marine health and utilizing resources… Read More

Mexico’s National Aquaculture and Fisheries Commission (Conapesca) has put out a statement claiming that a nearly completed ammonia plant being built in Topolobampo, Sinaloa, Mexico, won’t affect commercial fishing activity. The production facility is being built within the Port of Topolobampo and will be connected to the nation’s natural gas infrastructure. Project developer Proman GPO, the Mexican subsidiary of Swiss energy company… Read More

The Canaveral Port Authority (CPA) Board of Commissioners is continuing to advance development of a new working waterfront and commercial fishing facility at Port Canaveral in the U.S. state of Florida. “Port Canaveral began as a commercial fishing port in 1953, and our decades-long legacy with this industry continues to this day. This investment reflects our ongoing commitment to support this important resource that delivers vital economic… Read More

The European Fisheries Control Agency (EFCA) has secured three offshore patrol vessels under a new framework contract, maintaining the agency’s current enforcement capacity. The three Portuguese-flagged vessels – Ocean Guardian, Ocean Protector and Ocean Sentinel – were chartered from subcontractors Sentinel Offshore Vessels Limited, Cyan Sentinel Limited, and Sentinel Marine Netherlands for a four-year period. According to EFCA, the… Read More

NOAA Fisheries has identified six nations engaged in illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing based on the activities of those foreign governments from 2022 through 2024. Every two years, the agency sends a report to Congress identifying which countries are engaged in IUU fishing, which countries have adequate shark protections, and which countries have forced labor present in their seafood supply chains. NOAA Fisheries also issues… Read More

A group of United States senators have asked the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to purchase more catfish, claiming that the sector is under “severe financial strain.” Under Section 32 of the U.S. Agricultural Adjustment Act, the USDA can purchase surplus goods and use the food in federal food assistance programs, and the government does so regularly. In a 30 June letter, five U.S. senators asked the USDA to exercise that authority to… Read More

U.S. legislators in Congress are once again utilizing the fiscal year 2027 annual military funding bill to advance several key seafood provisions, most of which block the Department of Defense from purchasing foreign seafood. The U.S. House took up its version of the bill recently, which most notably would eliminate any exemptions from the military’s “Buy American” requirements when it comes to seafood. That requirement is part of the… Read More