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ASMFC Honors 2026 Annual Award of Excellence Recipients

May 6, 2026 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (ASMFC) is proud to announce the recipients of its 2026 Annual Awards of Excellence, recognizing outstanding contributions to the management, policy development, enforcement, and public understanding of Atlantic coastal fisheries. This year’s honorees represent excellence across four key areas: fisheries management and policy, legislative leadership, outreach, and law enforcement.

 
“These award recipients exemplify the dedication, expertise, and collaborative spirit necessary to sustain our nation’s marine resources,” said ASMFC Chair Daniel McKiernan of Massachusetts. “Their work strengthens not only their respective fields, but also the entire interstate fisheries management process.”
 
Management & Policy Award
John Clark — Delaware Division of Fish and Wildlife (Retired)
John Clark is honored for a distinguished career in fisheries management and policy, marked by more than a decade of service as Delaware’s Administrative Commissioner to ASMFC. Since 2011, he has played a central role in guiding the Commission’s work on complex and often contentious fisheries issues.
 
Mr. Clark has chaired several key management boards, including those overseeing horseshoe crab, Atlantic menhaden, and American eel fisheries. He is widely respected for his fairness, efficiency, and ability to navigate technical and policy challenges while fostering productive dialogue among diverse stakeholders.
 
His contributions to the development and application of innovative management tools, such as the horseshoe crab Adaptive Resource Management Framework model, have supported the recovery of important species and provided benefits across ecological, commercial, and biomedical sectors.
 
Prior to his administrative role, Mr. Clark built a strong foundation as a field researcher and scientist, contributing significantly to the understanding of fisheries and invertebrate ecology in Delaware waters. 
 
His career reflects a rare combination of scientific expertise, policy leadership, and dedication to public service.


 
Congressional & Legislative Contributions Award
Alex Swanson — Legislative Assistant, Office of U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen
Alex Swanson is honored for her exceptional contributions to advancing fisheries policy and securing critical federal support for ASMFC priorities. As a Legislative Assistant, she has demonstrated a deep understanding of coastal and marine issues, as well as the complex intersection of science, policy, and funding.
 
In fiscal year 2026, under a highly constrained budget environment, Ms. Swanson played a leading role in securing funding for key initiatives, including the Chesapeake Bay menhaden study and an industry-based trawl survey pilot program. These efforts will help address longstanding scientific questions, improve data collection, and support more effective fisheries management decisions.
 
Ms. Swanson’s experience working in both New England and Mid-Atlantic congressional offices has provided her with a broad perspective on interstate fisheries challenges. Her ability to translate technical needs into actionable legislative outcomes has made her an invaluable partner to ASMFC and its stakeholders.
 
Her leadership ensures that the needs of coastal communities, fisheries managers, and the scientific community are effectively represented at the federal level.
 
Outreach & Advisory Award
Francis “Fran” McParland — New York State Department of Environmental Conservation
Francis “Fran” McParland is recognized for his innovative and impactful approach to fisheries outreach and public engagement. His work has significantly enhanced public understanding of marine resource
 
management across New York’s diverse marine environments, from Long Island Sound to the Atlantic Ocean and the Hudson River.
 
Through the development of creative, science-based communication strategies—including social media outreach and in-person engagement—Mr. McParland has successfully translated complex regulatory and scientific concepts into accessible and engaging messaging. His efforts have strengthened public trust in fisheries management and increased awareness of conservation priorities.
 
Mr. McParland regularly engages a wide range of stakeholders, including recreational and commercial fishing communities, educators, and youth groups. He has also organized and participated in hands-on events such as beach cleanups and environmental awareness initiatives, fostering a culture of stewardship and community involvement.
 
In addition to his outreach work, he has demonstrated leadership within the professional community, including serving as President of the New York Chapter of the American Fisheries Society. His contributions have had a lasting impact on both public engagement and professional collaboration in fisheries management.
 
Law Enforcement Award
Corporal Vincent “Vinny” Artrip — Maryland Natural Resources Police
Corporal Vincent “Vinny” Artrip is recognized for his exceptional leadership and effectiveness in fisheries law enforcement along Maryland’s Atlantic coast. Assigned to one of the region’s most active coastal districts, Corporal Artrip has demonstrated extensive expertise in both recreational and commercial fisheries enforcement, handling complex cases involving species managed under overlapping state and federal regulations.
 
Over the past year, his enforcement efforts have addressed violations involving key Atlantic species such as striped bass, black sea bass, flounder, tautog, as well as federally managed pelagic species including bluefin tuna and billfish. His work requires a high level of technical knowledge and the ability to navigate evolving regulatory frameworks.
 
A deputized officer under the Joint Enforcement Agreement program, Corporal Artrip works closely with NOAA Fisheries and federal enforcement partners to ensure alignment with national fisheries management objectives. He also maintains strong working relationships with neighboring state agencies, supporting coordinated enforcement efforts across jurisdictional boundaries.
 
In addition to his operational work, Corporal Artrip has contributed to regulatory development discussions, assisted with the transition to federal reporting systems for highly migratory species, and delivered training to fellow officers and partner agencies. His efforts have enhanced both compliance and interagency coordination, making a lasting impact on fisheries enforcement in the region.
 
About the ASMFC
The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission is a cooperative interstate fisheries management agency dedicated to the conservation and sustainable use of Atlantic coastal fishery resources. Through collaboration among its member states, the Commission develops and implements management programs that balance ecological sustainability with the economic needs of coastal communities.

ALASKA: 126 million salmon – that’s the estimated harvest by Alaska’s commercial fishermen this year

May 5, 2026 — Every year, state biologists predict how many salmon can be commercially harvested in relation to expected run strengths. It guides how they manage the state’s fisheries, like when and where they open and for how long. The state Department of Fish and Game announced in April that this year’s expected overall harvest is 126 million fish, which is 90 million fewer fish than what was expected last year.

“It’s not, not particularly concerning to me,” said Forrest Bowers, who heads the state’s Division of Commercial Fisheries. He said there is inherent uncertainty in the forecasts. “Keep in mind, this is a projection. You know, the accuracy of the projection varies across the state, particularly for stocks like coho salmon, they are very difficult to forecast. Chum can be difficult to forecast as well.”

Still, it’s less than two-thirds of what they ended up harvesting last year. That huge gap mostly boils down to one species – pinks, also known as humpies. Their two-year life cycle is the shortest of all salmon. And for whatever reason, their runs in Alaska are far smaller in even-numbered years.

Pinks are the most commercially harvested salmon. Last year, they made up about 61% of the total expected commercial harvest. This year, they make up nearly 44%.

Read the full article at KFSK

Trump Administration says it supports Rep. Golden’s proposal to delay right whale regulation

May 5, 2026 — The Trump Administration said it supports a proposal by Democratic Maine Congressman Jared Golden to push back new federal protections for North Atlantic Right Whales to 2035.

A moratorium on new federal rules around right whales is already in place until 2028 due to concerns from lobsterman who say certain regulations for the endangered species would cripple the fishing industry.

A Monday memo from the President said Golden’s bill would also extend the requirements for the National Marine Fisheries Service to promote the innovation and adoption of gear technologies in the American lobster and Jonah crab fisheries.

“The need to protect Maine’s iconic lobster industry knows no party. I’m grateful for the President’s support for Maine’s lobstermen and hopeful that my colleagues in the House will join me in quickly passing this bill into law,” Golden said in a statement.

The North Atlantic Right Whale population currently sits at around 380 individuals, according to the New England Aquarium.

Read the full article at nhpr

United States Pushes for Stronger Action to Fight Illegal Fishing and Sustainably Manage Fisheries in the North Pacific

May 5, 2026 — The United States advanced its goals to combat harmful fishing practices at the North Pacific Fisheries Commission’s 10th annual meeting in Osaka, Japan, in April. The Commission is a regional fisheries management organization. It manages pelagic and deep-sea fisheries in the high seas of the North Pacific, other than those managed by other international organizations. The United States is one of nine Commission members.

The United States does not have fishing vessels active under NPFC but its outcomes align with broader U.S. objectives related to:

  • Promoting sustainable fisheries management
  • Bolstering maritime security on the high seas adjacent to U.S. waters
  • Ensuring U.S. seafood imports derive from legal, well-managed fisheries

Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing

A top U.S. priority is combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. IUU fishing undermines sustainable fisheries management, U.S. seafood competitiveness, and consumer confidence in seafood supplies.

The Commission took several steps to strengthen and implement tools to combat IUU fishing at its annual meeting, including adopting a measure on minimum standards for port inspections. This measure lays out basic obligations for port states and other actors when foreign fishing vessels request entry into port. It will help prevent the landing and entry into commerce of IUU fish and fish products. It is aligned with the Agreement on Port State Measures and related information exchange systems. Adoption of the measure complements similar measures in other regional fisheries management organizations. It also strengthens other monitoring, control, and surveillance tools the Commission has in place to combat IUU fishing at sea, such as:

  • High seas boardings and inspections
  • Vessel monitoring systems
  • Transshipment observer program

The Commission also adopted a U.S. proposal to amend the measure that establishes a list of vessels involved in IUU fishing and imposes consequences on those vessels. The existing measure had a potential gap in the timeframe under which vessels could be nominated for inclusion on the list. The U.S. proposal successfully closed that gap and strengthened other aspects of the measure. It launched a process to develop clearer procedures to share information with other regional fisheries management organizations and take comparable measures against vessels on other organizations’ IUU vessel lists.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

Enviros sue Trump admin to stop fishing in Atlantic monument

May 5, 2026 — Green groups and an ocean conservationist have sued the Trump administration over its attempt to open a 3.1-million-acre national monument off the coast of Cape Cod to commercial fishing.

President Donald Trump’s proclamation would jeopardize endangered whales, vulnerable corals and other delicate species and ecosystems protected by the Atlantic Ocean’s first and only marine national monument, the groups said in a statement announcing their lawsuit filed Monday in federal court in Washington.

“Northeast Canyons and Seamounts is a living scientific laboratory and a refuge for species as varied as cold-water corals and sperm whales. Only the Trump administration would think it makes sense to open it up to damage and harm from commercial fishing,” said Devon Flanagan, a senior attorney at the Natural Resources Defense Council. “That decision is clearly unlawful, and we will be fighting it in court until we win.”

Read the full article at E&E News

NOAA announces USD 99 million for Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund

May 5, 2026 — 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 in a release. “The projects help increase Pacific salmon populations, which sustain federal ocean fisheries and benefit tribes.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Atlantic Menhaden Recertified for Another Five Years as a Marine Stewardship Council Sustainable Fishery

May 5, 2026 — The Atlantic menhaden fishery has been recertified as sustainable according to Marine Stewardship Council (MSC) standards. The recertification once again confirms that the fishery is environmentally sustainable and effectively managed.

The Marine Stewardship Council is the international gold standard for seafood sustainability and has one of the most rigorous certification programs in the world. All fisheries certified under the MSC benchmarks must undergo an independent third-party audit to confirm that they adhere to MSC standards.

MSC evaluates fisheries according to 28 separate sustainability criteria. These criteria are divided among three principles: the sustainability of the fishery, whether the fishery has minimized its environmental impact, and the effectiveness of its management. In order to be certified, fisheries must achieve a score of at least 60 on all 28 criteria. The fishery averaged a score of more than 80 for all three of the principles measured, scoring an 86.7 on the health of the species, 82.0 on its ecosystem impacts, and 96.3 on its management system.

Three companies, Ocean Harvesters and Omega Protein in Virginia, and Lund’s Fisheries in New Jersey, represent the ‘client group’ supporting  this MSC assessment.

“Our operations are focused on ensuring that everything we do is sustainable and based on ecologically sound management practices, and this recertification reflects that,” said Ben Landry, Vice President of Public Affairs for Ocean Fleet Services. “The Atlantic menhaden fishery is one of the most sustainable fisheries on the East Coast, and with this recertification, we will continue to be good stewards of the Chesapeake Bay and the resource.”

The Atlantic menhaden fishery was first certified in 2019. MSC-certified fisheries are required to undergo the recertification process regularly to ensure that they still meet the organization’s high standards.

“For nearly ten years, Lund’s Fisheries has collaborated with the MSC to assure domestic and international markets, vitally important to our long-term success, that the seafood we produce is managed sustainably based on the rigorous, annual, scientific and monitoring reviews that are the core of the MSC program.” said Wayne Reichle, President of Lund’s Fisheries.

The menhaden fishery operates primarily in Virginia and in federal waters off the coast of New Jersey. In Virginia, where the fishery has operated out of Reedville since the 1870s, the menhaden purse seine fishery harvests menhaden for use in marine ingredients such as fish meal and fish oil. In New Jersey, the purse seine fishery operating out of Cape May is a key source for menhaden used as bait in the Atlantic lobster and crab fisheries and Gulf crab and crawfish fisheries. Both fisheries are integral to their local fishing economies and coastal communities.

This MSC recertification reflects the most recent science on the health of the Atlantic menhaden resource and confirms that the fishery is being managed sustainably, for the future. According to the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, the interstate body that manages menhaden, the species is not overfished, and overfishing is not occurring.

About the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition

The Menhaden Fisheries Coalition (MFC) is a collective of menhaden fishermen, related businesses, and supporting industries. Comprised of businesses along the Atlantic and Gulf coasts, the Menhaden Fisheries Coalition conducts media and public outreach on behalf of the menhaden industry to ensure that members of the public, media, and government are informed of important issues, events, and facts about the fishery.

VIRGINIA: Dominion to open nation’s biggest offshore wind farm next year

May 4, 2026 — The largest offshore wind project under construction in the U.S. has nine turbines in the water and is on track to begin operating next year.

The update by Dominion Energy on its sprawling project called Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind came as the utility reported strong growth in power demand from data centers. Company executives also expressed enthusiasm in Virginia’s new energy storage targets and said the utility had submitted a bid to extend a long-term power contract for its nuclear power plant in Connecticut.

But the offshore wind project headlined Dominion’s financial update with analysts Friday. The Trump administration temporarily halted construction of the 2,600-megawatt project late last year. Construction resumed in January after Dominion successfully sued the government. The project’s first turbine began spinning in March.

Read the full article at E&E News

Bill to delay right whale regulations gains support from Trump and Maine fishermen

May 4, 2026 — A bill proposed by Democratic U.S. Representative Jared Golden is gaining support from President Donald Trump and some in Maine’s fishing industry.

The legislation, known as H.R. 8509, would extend a moratorium on fishing regulations aimed at protecting the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale. Those rules are currently set to take effect in 2028, but the bill would push that timeline back to 2035 if approved.

Lobstermen with the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association said the data used to create those regulations is inaccurate. They argued the rules could lead to unnecessarily strict limits on where they can fish and how they operate.

“Give fishermen and the state of Maine DMR time to see where the whales actually are and give a chance for us to see the impact the seasonal closures and the changes we’ve already made to our gear have made.”

Joyce said some of the proposed regulations could include restricting access to certain waters and requiring the use of “ropeless” lobster gear. That type of gear removes the vertical rope connecting traps to buoys—a line that can entangle whales.

But Joyce and other fishermen believe that the solution is unsafe and costly.

Read the full article at News Center Maine