Nathan Strout

The Biden administration is looking for input on a new National Strategy for a Sustainable Ocean Economy, which will build on the Ocean Climate Action Plan released in March.

According to the White House Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP), the national strategy will guide how the federal government “can best advance sustainable management of ocean, coastal, and Great Lakes resources and ecosystems of the United States.”

NOAA Fisheries has proposed designating critical habitat areas for endangered Rice’s whales and green sea turtles as part of its efforts to ensure the species’ survival.

The Rice’s whale critical habitat proposal is part of a settlement between NOAA and conservation groups Healthy Gulf and the Natural Resources Defense Council, which sued the government for failing to designate critical habitat for the whales within the time

U.S. senators are calling on the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers to put together a plan to address a backlog of aquaculture permit applications.

Shellfish aquaculture projects typically require approval from the Corps, which will ensure their compliance with U.S. environmental laws. According to a 2019 report conducted by the Government Accountability Office (GAO), a Congressional watchdog organization, the Corps received 3,751 applications from

U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) says her latest bill would strengthen Alaska’s seafood industry, creating a new label for wild-caught seafood, establishing a new grant program for domestic seafood processors, and adding new label requirements for genetically engineered or lab-grown seafood.

The Improving ARCTIC Act is a collection of amendments to the Farm Bill meant to help Alaskan residents and industries. Congress updates and

The U.S. state of New Jersey is considering taking back millions of dollars in Covid-19 relief from commercial fishermen after an audit found multiple issues.

In May 2020, the federal government announced USD 300 million (EUR 270 million) in fisheries assistance funding as part of the CARES Act. New Jersey was awarded USD 11.2 million (EUR 10 million) of that funding and established the Marine Fisheries Assistance Grant Program to distribute the

NOAA Fisheries has agreed to establish a team that will focus on reducing the number of Pacific humpback whale entanglements in the sablefish fishery as part of a new legal agreement.

The agreement is in response to a lawsuit brought by the Center for Biological Diversity, a nonprofit organization that works to establish federal protections for wildlife. Last year, the center sued NOAA Fisheries, arguing that its permit for the sablefish fishery

The U.S. House of Representatives has passed a bill clarifying that ports can apply for Port Infrastructure Development Program (PIDP) grants that support commercial fishing.

Run through the U.S. Transportation Department’s Maritime Administration, PIDP is a federal program that distributes competitive grants to port authorities, states, and local governments for port-related infrastructure projects. However, it was unclear whether ports

NOAA Fisheries is likely to receive a budget cut in the 2024 fiscal year, with the U.S. Senate considering legislation providing a slight reduction in funding and the U.S. House considering even bigger cuts across NOAA.

On 13 July, the Senate Appropriations Committee released its Commerce, Justice, Science, and Related Agencies Fiscal Year 2024 Appropriations Bill, which includes funding for NOAA and NOAA Fisheries. The committee approved the

U.S lawmakers want to temporarily ban deep-seabed mining until a full assessment of its environmental impact is completed and a new regulatory regime is established to protect ocean resources.

Last week, U.S. Representative Ed Case (D-Hawaii) introduced two bills – one creating a moratorium on seabed mining in American waters, and one calling for an international moratorium.

“Our deep oceans and seabed are the last unexplored regions