Nathan Strout

An internal memo from U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service Director Brian Nesvik shows the agency’s plan to rewrite the definition of “take” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), effectively allowing unintended harm to or killing of threatened wildlife. “This stabs at the very heart of the Endangered Species Act by giving federal approval to the killing of some of America’s most beloved wildlife,” Center for Biological Diversity… Read More

The U.S. House of Representatives Natural Resources Committee advanced legislation establishing new regional frameworks for killing cormorants, voracious birds that consume vast quantities of fish. According to bill sponsor U.S. Representative Tim Walberg, out of control cormorant populations have had a devastating impact on Great Lakes fisheries, and a new approach is needed to reduce their numbers. "The Great Lakes fisheries are vital to… Read More

The U.S. Senate Committee on Agriculture, Nutrition, and Forestry advanced its version of the Farm Bill on 16 September, approving multiple provisions meant to support the domestic seafood industry. The Farm Bill is the main piece of legislation dictating U.S. agriculture policy, and the seafood industry has pushed to use the latest Farm Bill renewal as a mechanism to ensure more support for the domestic fishing and seafood sectors from the U.S.… Read More

The U.S. Senate Committee on Commerce, Science, and Transportation has advanced U.S. Senator Dan Sullivan’s (R-Alaska) Bycatch Reduction Act, which is intended to limit contact between trawling gear and the seafloor. “Today, my Bycatch Reduction Act passed out of committee and is headed to the full Senate for a vote. We’re one step closer to getting it across the finish line,” Sullivan said in a social media post. “I’ve been working… Read More

The U.S. House Natural Resources Committee has approved a bill that would allow the state of Washington and area Tribes to kill more seals and sea lions that prey upon recovering salmon populations. “I am pleased the House Natural Resources Committee voted in a bipartisan manner to advance my bill,” U.S. Representative Michael Baumgartner (R-Washington) said in a release. “This bill, born in collaboration with many of the Tribes in… Read More

The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has proposed removing a permit requirement for offshore seafood processors, removing restrictions on what they can discharge into the open ocean. Currently, 79 offshore seafood processors are required to secure a National Pollutant Discharge Elimination System (NPDES) permit under the Clean Waters Act (CWA), which governs the discharge of seafood processing wastes, washdown water, and sanitary… Read More

The U.S. House of Representatives has voted to send the Illegal Red Snapper and Tuna Enforcement Act to U.S. President Donald Trump to sign into law. The House passed the bill 14 September in a voice vote.  The legislation, which was originally introduced in the U.S. Senate in January 2025, directs NOAA and the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to work together in developing a field test kit capable of identifying the… Read More

NOAA Fisheries has awarded USD 103 million (EUR 89 million) to support fisheries habitat restoration projects throughout the United States. The funding will be distributed across 16 projects selected by NOAA Fisheries. The agency said it selected projects that restore habitat – or access to habitat – necessary for the nation’s fisheries. “By supporting America’s fisheries, these projects will ‘Make America Beautiful Again’ through… Read More

Two commercial Dungeness crab fishers will no longer be allowed to harvest the shellfish after the California Fish and Game Commission suspended their commercial fishing licenses and permits due to multiple violations, including abandoning dozens of traps each. According to the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW), a joint patrol off the Klamath River following the 2023-24 Dungeness crab season uncovered at least 107 abandoned traps… Read More

The California Coastal Commission has approved a consistency certification for Ocean Rainforest’s proposed 2,000-acre commercial kelp farm to be built in the Santa Barbara Channel. According to the Goleta, California, U.S.A.-based aquaculture company, the certification was the final major regulatory hurdle it needed before beginning construction. “This approval is a major milestone for Ocean Rainforest and gives us the foundation to take… Read More