May 21, 2025 — The West Coast seafood industry is caught in the crosshairs of tariff uncertainty. International orders have been canceled, which impacts Oregon workers. Industry leaders and Oregon’s Democratic Congressional delegation have asked the US Department of Agriculture to step in. Lori Steele is the executive director of the West Coast Seafood Processors Association. She joins us with details of the challenges facing the industry.
ALASKA: ASMI responds to trade pressures with focus on domestic growth
May 21, 2025 — The Juneau, Alaska-based Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) has released its 2024 annual report, highlighting the successes and challenges of a sector under pressure from both the setbacks of recent Alaskan history and the pressures of retaliatory tariffs in response to U.S. President Trump’s trade war.
“Commercial fishing is woven into the fabric of our economy, culture, and way of life,” said ASMI Executive Director Jeremy Woodrow, who called the sector an “industry worth fighting for” in his annual report message.
ALASKA: Alaska House passes bill mandating representation on Board of Fisheries
May 21, 2025 — The Alaska House has narrowly passed a piece of legislation that will change the makeup of the state’s Board of Fisheries, requiring the governor to select members who represent a wider swath of the Alaska fishing community.
If it becomes law, the bill would require two seats for representatives from the subsistence fishing sector, two representing the commercial fishing sector, two representing the sportfishing sector, and a fisheries scientist.
MARYLAND: “Not for sale” says Ocean City Mayor after multimillion dollar offer for fishing community by US Wind
May 20, 2025 — As the prospect of offshore wind projects along the coast continues, the town of Ocean City and now the Waterman’s Association seem to be on the same page in declaring that they are “not for sale.” That’s the claim made in a statement this week by Ocean City Mayor Rick Meehan.
The statement was a response to a $20 million dollar investment proposal that is aimed at supporting commercial fishing operations in Maryland.
The Memoranda of Understanding between US Wind and the Maryland Department of Natural Resources was designed to asswage concerns from the local fishing industry over plans for offshore wind.
Read the full article at Coast TV
CALIFORNIA: CDFW closes sardine fishery for human consumption
May 20, 2025 — On May 9, the California Department of Fish and Wildlife (CDFW) announced an immediate restriction on the commercial and recreational harvest of Pacific sardines for human consumption in ocean waters south of Point Conception to the California-Mexico border.
The move follows a public health warning issued after dangerously high levels of domoic acid were detected in sardine samples from the region.
The directive, issued by CDFW Director Charlton Bonham, was prompted by recommendations from the Office of Environmental Health Hazard Assessment (OEHHA) and the California Department of Public Health (CDPH). According to CDFW, sardines caught in the Southern California Bight pose “a human health risk due to elevated levels of domoic acid,” a naturally occurring marine toxin produced by harmful algal blooms.
SOUTH CAROLINA: South Carolina rolls out its own red snapper rules
May 20. 2025 — South Carolina will no longer follow federal management standards in state waters aimed at protecting red snapper populations that are still recovering after years of overfishing off the south Atlantic coast.
Gov. Henry McMaster (R) signed S.B. 219 on May 8 taking full authority over the state’s snapper-grouper fishery — composed of 55 species — within 3 miles of the South Carolina coast. The law specifically references red snapper and black sea bass, both of which are highly sought after by recreational fishermen.
“This law reflects South Carolina’s commitment to common-sense, homegrown solutions” to fishing regulation, McMaster said in a statement issued by sportfishing groups. “Our anglers deserve a system that’s fair, science-driven, and tailored to our state’s unique waters, not a one-size-fits-all approach.”
ALASKA: Alaska legislature passes bill allowing commercial fishing insurance co-ops
May 20, 2025 — Both houses of the Alaska legislature have unanimously passed a bill that would allow commercial fishers to form insurance co-ops, helping them secure more affordable insurance options.
Commercial fishers in Alaska have complained that it is increasingly difficult for them to secure insurance, especially for smaller and older vessels.
MASSACHUSETTS: Commercial fishermen welcomed Trump’s promise to roll back ‘overregulation.’ Months into his term, what do they think of him?
May 20, 2025 — Here, in America’s oldest port of its kind, where the squawk of gulls offers a constant soundtrack to life on the docks, the iconic, centuries-old commercial fishing industry used to be much, much better. There were, fishermen recalled, more boats making more money, fewer rules, and more opportunity.
In their telling, federal authorities overstepped in a misguided effort to protect fish stocks, with rules that have strangled their beloved way of life. So President Trump’s promise to roll back “overregulation” had been broadly welcomed by those in commercial fishing, even as industry veterans, burned by generations of politicians, approach any cause for optimism with caution.
Now, four months since Trump took office, some fishermen and businesses that rely on them question whether the Republican’s rhetoric will translate into tangible benefits.
MAINE: Trump’s executive order on fishing industry draws support from Maine fishermen
May 19, 2025 — As the Trump administration continues to reshape federal policy, a recent executive order targeting the U.S. fishing industry is making waves along Maine’s coast.
The order, which seeks to ease regulations and promote domestic seafood production, is drawing both support and concern from those closely tied to the industry.
Alaska officials forecast improvements for the state’s commercial salmon harvest
May 19, 2025 — After a poor showing last year, Alaska’s statewide commercial salmon harvest appears poised for a rebound, according to projections by state biologists.
This year’s total salmon harvest is expected to be more than twice as big as last year’s total, thanks primarily to stronger returns of pink salmon, according to the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s annual statewide run forecast and commercial harvest projection. The report was released this week.
The department’s projected 2025 total harvest is 214.6 million fish, above the 2000-2023 average of 175 million fish, though well below the record 280 million salmon harvested commercially in 2013. This year’s projected total is much higher than the 103.5 million salmon harvested commercially last year.
If the harvest occurs as projected, it would be the 10th-largest on record, said Forrest Bowers, director of the department’s Division of Commercial Fisheries.
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