Nathan Strout

NOAA Fisheries recently said a law requiring it to ban imports from foreign fisheries that don’t align with U.S. marine mammal protections has been a useful tool in reducing bycatch but admitted it is very difficult to execute. The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) has long required U.S. commercial fishers to take steps to reduce marine mammal bycatch, but a similar requirement to ban imports from foreign fisheries that do not take action to… Read More

Buford, Georgia, U.S.A.-based seafood wholesaler Moon N Sea GA has agreed to pay USD 265,000 (EUR 231,436) to settle a sex discrimination lawsuit filed by the U.S. Equal Employment Opportunity Commission (EEOC). “This lawsuit is a reminder that employers violate discrimination laws when they fail to hire qualified applicants on the basis of sex,” Marcus G. Keegan, regional attorney for the EEOC’s Atlanta District, said in a release.… Read More

The European Commission has approved a EUR 149 million (USD 171 million) plan to subsidize fuel costs due to high prices, which remain elevated due to the U.S.-led war on Iran. Attacks by the U.S. and Israel on Iran beginning in February led to the closing of the Strait of Hormuz, a critical transportation thoroughfare for much of the world’s oil supply. The strait has remained closed for almost the entirety of the conflict, with control of… Read More

A pair of U.S. lawmakers has introduced a bill that would reverse the federal government’s decision to roll back the definition of “harm” under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) to exclude habitat destruction. “Congress enacted the Endangered Species Act to prevent extinction – not to document it after the damage has already been done,” U.S. Representative Brian Fitzpatrick (R-Pennsylvania) said in a release. “For more than 50… Read More

Legislation introduced in the U.S. House of Representatives would ban commercial fishing for and sale of red snapper from the South Atlantic when the recreational fishery is closed, effectively limiting commercial fishing to two days per year. The bill is being backed by the recreational fishing industry, which claims it’s unfair for angling to be limited while commercial fishers are allowed to catch and sell red snapper. “For years,… Read More

NOAA Fisheries has denied a petition seeking to list smalltail sharks under the Endangered Species Act (ESA), concluding that the species is not threatened with extinction. “We have determined the smalltail shark is not presently in danger of extinction, nor is it likely to become so in the foreseeable future throughout all or a significant portion of its range,” NOAA Fisheries stated in its 12-month finding. “Therefore, the smalltail… Read More

A handful of U.S. senators have asked the Department of the Treasury to issue sanctions on vessels that support China’s distant water fishing fleet, continuing a push from U.S. lawmakers to limit China’s commercial fishing and seafood sectors. “The Chinese Communist Party is using its global distant-water fleet to conduct ecocide across at least three continents in both hemispheres. They kill endangered species by the hundreds and sharks,… Read More

A federal court has sentenced two individuals for their roles in stealing commercial fishing equipment last year, while another two individuals involved in the crimes were entered into the court’s Pretrial Intervention Program. “Commercial fishermen rely on their equipment to earn a living, and when that equipment is stolen, the impact extends far beyond the value of the property itself,” Chief Assistant State Attorney Joseph Mansfield… Read More

The U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) plans to purchase catfish and Atlantic groundfish products as part of USD 76.5 million (EUR 67.3 million) in planned purchases for domestic nutrition programs. “The farm-raised catfish industry has been under tremendous financial pressure as producers have struggled with years of rising costs and inflation.  Like many agricultural sectors, our catfish farmers have faced significant economic… Read More

Multiple states are preparing to sue the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump over a series of deals the government has signed to end offshore wind energy developments, and a group of senators has launched an investigation. Trump has made opposition to offshore wind energy a key policy in his second term, making multiple attempts to halt any development off the U.S. coast. On day one in office, Trump signed an executive order pausing… Read More