September 21, 2026 — Oregon and Washington lawmakers want the U.S. Department of Agriculture to support the West Coast’s ailing seafood industry by purchasing locally-caught fish to supplant profits from product that’s usually shipped to war-ravaged Ukraine.
The lawmakers, led by U.S. Sen. Jeff Merkley, D-Oregon, said in a Sept. 18 release that the agency’s purchase of Pacific Hake, or whiting, fillets, would support harvesters, processors, and coastal economies.
A letter from the lawmakers supporting the call said Ukraine is one of the largest Pacific whiting fillet markets. Regional instability from the war has impacted the supply chain and jeopardized that export market, which brings in nearly $95 million annually.