Nathan Strout

U.S. Senator Ed Markey (D-Massachusetts) blocked an attempt by U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan (R-Alaska) to quickly pass his Bycatch Reduction Act in the Senate. During remarks given on the Senate floor 23 September, Sullivan called on his fellow senators to pass his legislation, which calls for new trawling and bottom floor contact regulations and the implementation of salmon excluder devices for commercial fishing operations off the coast of Alaska… Read More

Lawmakers in the U.S. state of California have passed a pair of bills implementing higher fines and financial requirements for cold storage providers after a Lineage-owned facility burned down in Los Angeles, California, U.S.A. The cold storage industry, however, is opposed to the legislation, claiming it would only lead to higher costs and food prices. “The cold chain sector is committed to working with the legislature, community leaders, and… Read More

The U.S. state of North Carolina is appealing a court ruling that found evidence “overwhelmingly” shows the state's government failed to protect coastal fisheries. North Carolina Attorney General Marc Bernstein filed notice of the state’s intent to appeal on 16 September, roughly a month after Judge Bryan Collins of the Wake County Superior Court determined the evidence presented in court showed the state “failed to meet its… Read More

NOAA Fisheries is seeking feedback on a plan to allow shrimp trawling in the Oculina Bank off the eastern coast of Florida, despite concerns that it could damage rare coral. “Reopening the Oculina Bank to trawling places one of the crown jewels of U.S. oceans at potential risk and could destroy some of the last remaining ivory tree coral structures on the planet,” Oceana Marine Scientist Alex Aines said in a release. “This fragile and… Read More

The European Commission has proposed an amendment to the European Maritime, Fisheries and Aquaculture Fund (EMFAF) Regulation it claims would simplify funding for the bloc’s commercial fishing and aquaculture sectors. “Today’s proposal puts the E.U. at the forefront of responsible fisheries policy. By simplifying the EMFAF rules and embedding the [World Trade Organization’s] new discipline on harmful subsidies, we protect our marine… Read More

The U.S. Department of Commerce has given three South Atlantic states permission to manage extended recreational red snapper fishing seasons in federal waters this fall after an early effort to run an extended state-managed summer season was blocked by a lawsuit filed by commercial fishers. “NOAA is dedicated to working with our state partners, fishermen, and fishery managers to advance sustainable fisheries and strengthen the science that… Read More

An individual fishing off the coast of Chatham, Massachusetts, U.S.A. was fined USD 2,906 (EUR 2,542) for illegally harvesting commercial striped bass. According to Massachusetts Environmental Police (MEP), officers first received a report from the U.S. Coast Guard about a suspicious vessel on the morning of 5 August. The Coast Guard suspected the fisher has illegally harvested striped bass on board, and MEP sent out officers to conduct a marine… Read More

U.S. lawmakers from the Pacific Northwest are asking the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) to make a bulk purchase of Pacific whiting, or hake, as the ongoing war in Ukraine and other supply chain issues continue to impact demand. “Historically, Pacific whiting exports to Ukraine, one of the largest whiting fillet markets, reached up to nearly USD 95 million per year (EUR 83 million), but instability in the region as a result of war has… Read More

U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) and U.S. Senator Susan Collins (R-Maine) wrote a joint letter to the heads of the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee asking them to take action on the Northeast Lobstermen Protection Act, legislation introduced by U.S. Representative Jared Golden (D-Maine).  If passed, the legislation would extend a moratorium on new regulations of the lobster industry related to North Atlantic right whale regulations through… Read More

U.S. President Donald Trump has rescinded a 17-year-old executive order directing federal agencies to coordinate restoration of the Chesapeake Bay, claiming that it’s been used to improperly justify stormwater management fees – or rain taxes – implemented by municipalities. The president went on to state that enough progress has been made on improving the water quality and environmental health of the Chesapeake Bay watershed that the… Read More