Saving Seafood

Washington

Bipartisan bill introduced in U.S. Congress to advance open ocean aquaculture

August 6, 2025 — The introduction of the Marine Aquaculture Research for America (MARA) Act of 2025 in the U.S. Congress marks a major step forward for sustainable U.S. aquaculture. This bipartisan bill establishes a momentous step forward to support the responsible research of open ocean aquaculture in the U.S. while prioritizing strong environmental standards and community resilience.

“The bipartisan consensus is clear: Congressional action is needed to build a robust American open ocean aquaculture industry, and the MARA Act lays the groundwork towards that goal,” said Drue Banta Winters, campaign manager of Stronger America Through Seafood (SATS). Banta Winters thanked Senators Schatz and Wicker for their leadership in advancing the legislation. The act aims to boost domestic seafood production in a responsible and sustainable way, similar to practices already in use both internationally and in U.S. state waters.

The Coalition for Sustainable Aquaculture (CSA) also celebrates the bill introduction. “As someone deeply invested in sustainable seafood and responsible food systems, I believe the MARA Act is a landmark opportunity for American aquaculture,” said Barton Seaver, chef and founding member of the CSA. He emphasized that the bill supports a food system grounded in environmental responsibility, while also bolstering food security and coastal economies.

The U.S. currently imports the majority of its seafood, with half of that supply farmed abroad. As seafood demand grows domestically, exploring sustainable seafood production through open ocean aquaculture holds the potential to reduce reliance on imports, foster American ingenuity and innovation, bolster U.S. food security, and lower carbon emissions associated with international seafood transport—while creating jobs and economic opportunities in coastal communities.

Read the full article at Aqua Feed

US senators propose industry-backed permitting structure to enable offshore fish farming

August 5, 2025 — Legislators have introduced a bill in the U.S. Senate that would establish a new permitting framework for offshore fish farming in U.S. waters – a long-term goal of the domestic aquaculture sector.

“This growing bipartisan consensus in Congress to advance open ocean aquaculture in America comes with strong support from leading environmental groups, seafood industry businesses, chefs, and academics who all agree: We can responsibly grow more of our own seafood here at home,” Stronger America Through Seafood (SATS) Campaign Manager Drue Banta Winters said in a statement. “With today’s advanced technology, the responsible farming of seafood can sustainably complement our nation’s wild-capture harvesting to meet the growing demand for fresh, American-raised seafood, create new job opportunities, and encourage investment in working waterfront communities.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

US lawmakers want to root out any Chinese seafood from the military over Uyghur labor

August 4, 2025 — U.S. lawmakers are looking to eliminate any China-sourced seafood from its military as part of a renewed legislative effort aiming to address the Chinese government’s repression and abuse of the Uyghur minority group.

Human rights groups have long accused the Chinese government of persecuting its largely Muslim Uyghur populations, including via forced sterilization and forced labor. In October 2023, nonprofit journalism organization The Outlaw Ocean Project released a report documenting the use of Uyghur forced labor at several Chinese seafood processors, claiming that at least 47,000 metric tons of seafood were sent to the U.S. from facilities that used Uyghur workers.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

US Senate Commerce Committee advances Trump’s nominee to lead NOAA

August 1, 2025 — The U.S. Senate Commerce Committee voted to advance the nomination of Neil Jacobs – a former NOAA acting administrator and U.S. President Donald Trump’s current pick to lead the agency once more.

Jacobs was first named acting administrator of NOAA in 2018 during Trump’s first administration, but his nomination was never approved by the full Senate. When Trump was succeeded by President Joe Biden, Jacobs was replaced by Richard Spinrad.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

US Congress to consider invasive carp, hatchery support, and other provisions in Department of Interior budget bill

July 29, 2025 — Lawmakers in U.S. Congress will consider several fisheries provisions in the U.S. Department of the Interior budget bill, with each legislative body proposing different levels of funding for the National Fish Hatchery System, fish conservation, and stopping the spread of invasive species.

Though currently on vacation, both the U.S. House and the U.S. Senate are in the midst of the fiscal year 2026 budget process, which involves passing several massive appropriations that offer varying levels of policy guidance to the federal government.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

US lawmakers consider shielding sturgeon farmers from ESA restrictions

July 28, 2025 — Legislators in the U.S. Congress are considering legislation that would exempt American sturgeon farmers from Endangered Species Act (ESA) restrictions, although opponents say the legislation would open the door to Chinese and Russian imports.

The issue stems from a 2022 U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service (USFWS) proposal to list four species of sturgeon – Russian, ship, Persian, and stellate – under the ESA. The rule was decried by the caviar industry at the time for not differentiating between sustainably farm-raised sturgeon and wild populations. With other species, such as Atlantic salmon, U.S. regulators have found ways to allow aquaculture operations to continue to trade fish legally even though it was listed as endangered in the Gulf of America, opponents said at the time.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Advocates support renewing Young Fishermen’s Development Act

July 24, 2025 — Bipartisan legislation to reauthorize the Young Fishermen’s Development Program for five more years was hailed by the Fishing Communities Coalition.

Led by Sen. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska, the Young Fishermen’s Development Act (YFDA) would extend the program beyond its current expiration after the federal 2026 fiscal year, keeping alive what the coalition calls “a sound investment in the future of America’s fishing industry and a response to the demographic challenge known as the ‘graying of the fleet.’”

“The legislation to reauthorize the Young Fishermen’s Development Act is a positive step in securing the future of our coastal communities,” said Linda Behnken, executive director of the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association, in a statement with other coalition members.

“We have seen the average age of our fishermen increase, with the many challenges limiting young people from entering the profession,” said Behnken. “The YFDA ensures the knowledge of our seasoned fishermen is passed down and that the next generation continues America’s fishing tradition.”

The coalition also credited Rep. Seth Moulton, D-Mass., and a bipartisan group in the House of Representatives including Reps. Nick Begich, R-Alaska, Jill Tokuda, D-Hawaii, Jared Golden, D-Maine, Brian Fitzpatrick, R-Pa., and Delegate Amata Radewagen, R-American Samoa, for introducing a version of the legislation in the lower chamber as H.R. 3692 last month.

Read the full article at National Fisherman

US lawmakers consider major changes to Marine Mammal Protection Act

July 24, 2025 —  Conservation groups warn that draft legislation being considered in U.S. Congress could gut the Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA), legislation designed to safeguard vulnerable whales, dolphins, and other species from commercial fishing activities and other potential threats.

“If this bill were to become law, it would significantly hinder the ability to take any conservation actions for marine mammals,” wildlife biologist and television host Jeff Corwin said in his testimony. “More dolphins, whales, sea otters, and other marine mammals will be killed and injured, and incentives to develop new technologies and methods to reduce those human impacts on marine mammals would disappear.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

US senators lay out NOAA Fisheries priorities in budget bill

July 22, 2025 — The U.S. Senate Committee on Appropriations has laid out its fisheries and seafood priorities for fiscal year 2026, reporting out several provisions to guide NOAA Fisheries’ activities over the next year.

The U.S. Congress is now deep into its annual budget process, with Senate and house committees and subcommittees working through the Trump administration’s budget requests and drafting the appropriations bills needed to fund the federal government. While lawmakers don’t always successfully pass the full suite of appropriations bills, instead turning to continuing resolutions to avoid a government shutdown, the appropriations process offers lawmakers the most direct opportunity to craft policy for federal agencies.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Senate budget would shrink NOAA Fisheries’ budget slightly, despite Trump administration’s demand for steep cuts

July 21, 2025 — The Republican controlled U.S. Senate is set up to reject many of U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed cuts to NOAA Fisheries, proposing a slight decrease for the agency instead.

NOAA has been one of the agencies targeted by the Trump administration for cuts; during the first several months of Trump’s second term, the government has laid off hundreds of NOAA employees and rescinded much of the agency’s climate-related funding. Trump is seeking even deeper cuts, however, to NOAA Fisheries.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource