Two U.S. senators have introduced legislation designed to ensure commercial fishers and processors can access U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs, grants, and financial services.
“Whether your crops have seeds or scales, America’s food producers are essential to our economy and food supply, so we should seek economic parity for the men and women who work in the seafood industry,” U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) said in a release. “The American Seafood Competitiveness Act would help level the playing field and ensure our lobstermen and shellfish growers have access to the resources they need to grow and compete. That way, we can ensure the ‘Way Life Should Be’ for generations to come.”
U.S. commercial fishers have bemoaned the lack of support they receive from the federal government, especially compared to the benefits allotted to farmers through USDA. In 2023, several national seafood processing and fishing groups called on Congress to legislate more support for the sector within USDA. Among the groups’ requests were establishing an office to support seafood within USDA – a request that was effectively granted last year with Congress’ establishment of a USDA seafood liaison – as well as assurance that commercial fishers and aquaculture companies would be able to access USDA loans and financial services.
More recently, the Southeastern Fisheries Association gathered support at the 2026 Seafood Expo North America – which took place 15 to 17 March in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. – to rally support within the commercial fishing community and secure increased USDA support for their industry.
“Our boats are our tractors. The ocean is our field. Our catch is the crop that feeds this nation,” Southeastern Fisheries Association Board Chair Eugene Raffield said. “Farmers and ranchers are recognized as essential food producers. They have access to agricultural programs, labor programs, financing tools, disaster relief, insurance structures, and federal policy support that will help their industries be stable and be competitive throughout the world. But, the men and women who harvest wild American seafood, who work in some of the toughest and most dangerous conditions in this country’s vast oceans are often treated as if we are something separate from food production.”
Now, King and U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) have introduced the American Seafood Competitiveness Act to continue the push for more seafood support within USDA.
The legislation would categorize commercial fishing and fish processing as agricultural activities eligible for support under USDA programs. Wild-caught seafood would be included in USDA’s Local Agricultural Market Program, and the program requirements would be lowered to increase access for smaller operations. The bill would also update USDA regulations to allow seafood processors to access the department’s financing for facility upgrades and allow fishers to use the department’s farm ownership and operating loans to purchase permits and vessels, make capital improvements, and cover operations and maintenance. Businesses that support the commercial fishing and processing sector would be made eligible for Farm Credit institutions, and the USDA would be directed to create more financing options for the businesses and communities that rely on the seafood sector.
“In Alaska, agriculture isn’t just cattle and livestock in Delta Junction or carrot farms in Palmer; it also includes kelp farms in Douglas, oyster operations on Prince of Wales Island, and gillnetters in Bristol Bay harvesting our world-class salmon,” Murkowski said in a release. “These uniquely Alaska enterprises have been left out of some of America’s agricultural landscape, yet they play a vital role in our food security across the state. It’s past time our fishing and mariculture industries can access the same financing opportunities as farmers in the heartland.”
