Nathan Strout

Both bodies of the South Carolina state legislature have passed a bill requiring country-of-origin labeling for all shrimp sales in the state, though differences between the two versions will need to be sorted out before the bill becomes law. On 14 April, the South Carolina House of Representatives passed HB4248, legislation requiring all shrimp sold in the state to have a clear label noting its country of origin. The legislation is largely a… Read More

The Maryland Department of Natural Resources (DNR) has announced its intention to develop a Climate Resilient Fisheries Management Plan using USD 96,572 (EUR 82,194) in grant funding. “Climate change is already impacting Maryland,” DNR Resilient Systems Officer Jackie Specht said in a release. “A climate-resilient fishery management plan will allow Maryland to prepare for both the challenges and opportunities that arise for Maryland’s… Read More

The White House has come out in support of legislation that would extend a congressional ban on new whale-related regulations of the New England lobster industry first put in place in 2023.  The move would continue to insulate the lobster sector from any potential new regulatory actions designed to protect the North Atlantic right whale, a critically endangered marine mammal whose habitat overlaps the commercial fishery. There are roughly 380… Read More

NOAA Fisheries has announced USD 99 million (EUR 85 million) in annual funding for the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund, though the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is once again pushing to terminate the fund. “The Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund has a strong track record of supporting states and Tribes in completing projects that support the economy,” NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator Eugenio Piñeiro Soler said… Read More

U.S. Representative Nick Begich (R-Alaska) has introduced a bill that would make several changes to the makeup of the North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC). According to Begich, his legislation would ensure representation for the recreational, small-scale commercial, rural subsistence, and urban subsistence user groups on the council and give them a greater voice in shaping fisheries policy in the North Pacific. The bill would require… Read More

An Indonesian court has sentenced the founder of aquaculture tech firm eFishery to nine years in prison following an investigation into the company’s finances. The Indonesia-based company, which operated an online platform supporting shrimp farming operations, soared to prominence off a valuation surpassing USD 1 billion (EUR 851,860,551) in 2023, raising hundreds of millions of dollars from investors keen to attach themselves to the lucrative… Read More

An official evaluation of the European Commission’s Common Fisheries Policy found that the measure has made some progress towards sustainability in its first decade in force, but far less than expected.  “A decade of the common fisheries policy has put Europe on a more sustainable path, protecting better the marine resources our fishers rely on. Our governance is stronger, and our international leadership on ocean protection is clear,”… Read More

Despite his struggles with the courts, U.S. President Donald Trump is continuing his push to block offshore wind power development with all the tools at his disposal – including buying out the developers. Trump has made blocking offshore wind projects a priority during his second term, immediately issuing an executive order pausing federal approval of wind projects on the Outer Continental Shelf after resuming office in January 2025. He… Read More

Deputies with the Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Office in Seguin, Texas, U.S.A., were able to recover a stolen cargo shipment of snow crab valued at USD 250,000 (EUR 293,290). According to the Seguin Gazette, the owner of the crab shipment was tracking its progress and decided to contact local law enforcement for help. “Guadalupe County Sheriff’s Deputies recently received information regarding a stolen cargo shipment valued at over USD… Read More

The U.S. House has passed its Farm Bill renewal legislation, voting to attach two seafood-related amendments before final passage. The Farm Bill is the main legislation guiding agriculture and food policy in the U.S., and the domestic seafood sector has latched onto the omnibus bill as a vector for growing the presence of seafood and aquaculture in particular within the U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) and ensuring American fishers get the… Read More