Saving Seafood

ALASKA: Bill introduced by Alaska’s Murkowski aims to promote use of eDNA analysis in fishery management

August 10, 2026 — Federal fishery managers would start analyzing the DNA collected in ocean waters to help inform their decisions, under a bipartisan bill introduced in the U.S. Senate, Alaska’s Republican U.S. Sen. Lisa Murkowski said on Thursday.

Called the Fisheries Science Modernization Act, the bill would set up a system for the use of environmental DNA, known as eDNA, in fishery management. The bill would establish a National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration pilot program using eDNA to assess fishery stocks, require NOAA to develop an agency-wide eDNA implementation plan and direct the agency to routinely collect eDNA samples and integrate that form of surveillance into its fisheries research and ecosystem monitoring.

Along with Murkowski, Sen. Sheldon Whitehouse, D-Rhode Island, is a prime sponsor of the measure. Cosponsors are Sens. Dan Sullivan, R-Alaska; Jeff Merkley. D-Oregon; Chris Van Hollen, D-Maryland; Patty Murray, D-Washington; Angus King, I-Maine; and Adam Schiff, D-California.

Read the full article at KTOO

 

Murkowski and Colleagues Work to Modernize Fisheries Science

August 7, 2026 — The following was released by the Office of U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski:

Today, U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Senator Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) introduced legislation that would help the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) better assess and protect our fisheries. The Fisheries Science Modernization Act would incorporate environmental DNA (eDNA) and other biomolecular tools into NOAA’s fisheries science programs, allowing for more cost-effective and expanded survey coverage. This would bolster, not replace, traditional stock assessment surveys by providing NOAA with additional scientifically validated tools to improve data collection, expand survey coverage, and strengthen fisheries management.

This bill would establish national standards for this innovative technology while expanding workforce capacity, strengthening interagency coordination, and supporting private-sector innovation without imposing new regulatory burdens. Senators Dan Sullivan (R-AK), Jeff Merkley (D-OR), Chris Van Hollen (D-MD), Patty Murray (D-WA), Angus King (I-ME), and Adam Schiff (D-CA) are co-sponsors.

“Without accurate stock assessments, we cannot make the informed, science-based management decisions needed to ensure our fisheries remain sustainable for generations to come,” said Senator Murkowski. “Environmental DNA is an innovative, cost-effective tool that will give our scientists a clearer picture of our fisheries while expanding survey coverage and reducing costs. This legislation is the product of extensive collaboration with NOAA, Alaska fishermen, Tribal partners, academia, and industry to modernize how we assess fish stocks using the best available science.”

“With climate change wreaking havoc on fisheries, researchers need to stay ahead of the curve,” said Senator Whitehouse. “This bill will allow NOAA to harness new technologies to keep fish stocks healthy and robust.”

“Reliable fisheries surveys and stock assessments are the foundation of sustainable fisheries management,” said Sen. Sullivan. “I’ve consistently fought to ensure NOAA maintains robust fisheries survey coverage in Alaska, where changing ocean conditions are impacting our subsistence, recreational, and commercially important species and the communities that depend on them. As fish stocks shift and ocean conditions become more variable, we need to invest in both the traditional surveys that have served us for decades and innovative technologies that can make those surveys even stronger. By thoughtfully investing in and integrating new tools, we can improve the quality of stock assessments, better support our fishermen and communities, and ensure America’s fisheries remain among the best managed in the world.”

“To implement the best possible fisheries management strategies, we need the best available data,” said Senator Merkley. “Our bipartisan bill modernizes federal fisheries science and invests in innovative data collection and analysis. Bolstering our tools to monitor fisheries is critical to supporting both Oregon fishermen and responsible, sustainable fishing for generations to come.”

“Environmental DNA is a promising new tool for fisheries and ecosystem assessment that could improve fisheries management while also lowering costs,” said Linda Behnken, Executive Director of the Alaska Longline Fishermen’s Association. “Senator Murkowski’s Fisheries Science Modernization Act will advance this technology while also improving oversight and collaboration.?ALFA supports this bill and applauds Senator Murkowski for her commitment to science-based management of Alaska’s fisheries.”

“The Fisheries Science Modernization Act comes at a pivotal moment for U.S. fisheries management,” said Austen Thomas, Senior Application Scientist. “As an eDNA service provider, Wilderlab USA sees firsthand how environmental DNA can expand monitoring coverage, reduce survey costs, and deliver data on species that traditional methods often miss. This bill’s focus on national standards and predictable procurement pathways is exactly what the private sector needs to invest with confidence in U.S. eDNA capacity. By bringing the private sector into closer partnership with NOAA and other resource agencies, this legislation will help ensure fisheries decisions are grounded in the best available science. We commend Senator Murkowski for this forward-looking legislation and look forward to supporting NOAA’s efforts to modernize how we understand and manage our nation’s fisheries.”

“United Catcher Boats supports the Fisheries Science Modernization Act of 2026 and appreciates Senator Murkowski’s continued leadership in advancing science-based fisheries management,” said Andrea Keikkala, Executive Director of United Catcher Boats. “Senator Murkowski has long demonstrated a deep understanding of the importance of sound fisheries science and the need to ensure NOAA Fisheries has the tools necessary to sustainably manage our nation’s fisheries. We appreciate her leadership in championing innovative technologies that have the potential to strengthen stock assessments, expand scientific capacity, and improve fisheries management. We recommend that Congress ensure NOAA Fisheries has adequate resources to successfully implement these important new responsibilities without reducing investment in existing stock assessments, fishery-independent surveys, cooperative research, observer programs, or other core science activities that are fundamental to science-based fisheries management. Investments in eDNA should complement, rather than displace, the core science programs that have made the United States the global leader in sustainable fisheries management.”

“The United States is a global leader in sustainable fisheries because of our commitment to science-based management,” said Joanna Slaney, Environmental Defense Fund’s Vice President for Political and Government Affairs. “As technology and science continue to advance, it is crucial for NOAA to examine innovative methods to collect fisheries data and further the best available science. EDF appreciates Senator Murkowski and Senator Whitehouse’s leadership to further science that supports thriving ecosystems, fishery resources, and the communities that depend on them.”

“Environmental DNA collection is an exciting new scientific frontier for augmenting our understanding of fisheries and their ecosystems,” said Meredith Moore, Ocean Conservancy’s Senior Director of Fish Conservation. “The Fisheries Science Modernization Act lays a solid foundation for unlocking this new source of data to improve fisheries management.”

“America’s 11.8 million saltwater anglers depend on healthy fisheries, and sound fisheries management starts with sound science,” said Mike Leonard, the American Sportfishing Association’s (ASA) Vice President of Government Affairs. “Environmental DNA has shown tremendous potential as a tool to supplement traditional fisheries surveys, improve our understanding of marine fish populations, and help managers make more informed decisions. By testing and validating these technologies before incorporating them into stock assessments, the Fisheries Science Modernization Act takes a thoughtful, science-based approach to strengthening marine fisheries research. Better science leads to better management, which ultimately benefits both fish populations and the millions of anglers who contribute more than $145 billion in economic activity to our nation’s coastal communities. ASA appreciates Senator Murkowski’s leadership on this important legislation.”

The legislation is further endorsed by the Cape Cod Fishermen’s Alliance, the Alaska Ocean Observing System, the U.S. Integrated Ocean Observing System, the Western Alaska Community Development Quota Program, eDNAtec, the National Estuarine Research Reserve Associationand, the Pacific Seafood Processors Association.

Background

Currently, NOAA’s stock assessment methods are constrained by high operational costs and limited vessel availability, resulting in gaps in survey coverage. The integration of eDNA, already widely used in the private sector, would help close these gaps by enabling sampling in remote or hazardous environments while reducing costs.

The Fisheries Science Modernization Act would provide the federal government with key tools to better protect and grow our fisheries by modernizing how fish stocks are assessed while expanding agencies’ capacity to use eDNA. Specifically, the legislation:

Modernizing Stock Assessments

  • Establishes a NOAA eDNA Fishery Stock Assessment Pilot Program to validate methods across diverse regions and species.
  • Requires NOAA to develop an agency-wide eDNA Implementation Plan detailing how eDNA will be integrated into federally managed fisheries.
  • Directs NOAA to routinely collect eDNA samples during existing surveys to improve accuracy, expand coverage, and build long-term datasets.
  • Integrates eDNA into fisheries research and ecosystem monitoring by amending the Magnuson-Stevens Act.
  • Promotes collaboration among NOAA, fishermen, Tribal Nations, academia, and industry.
  • Requires annual coordination meetings and reports to the Office of Science and Technology Policy (OSTP) and Congress to ensure accountability.

Building National eDNA Capacity

  • Creates the National Aquatic Biomolecular Coordination Network (NABCN) to develop national standards for sampling, laboratory workflows, quality assurance and quality control (QA/QC), metadata, and bioinformatics.
  • Establishes a coordinated multi-agency framework enabling consistent biomolecular monitoring across freshwater, estuarine, coastal, and marine environments.
  • Expands NOAA’s workforce and laboratory capacity while supporting complementary private-sector services.
  • Trains National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) technicians in eDNA collection, handling, and modeling.
  • Supports research, innovation, and technology transfer across agencies, academia, Tribal partners, and industry.
  • Provides transparent performance standards and predictable procurement pathways to encourage U.S. innovation and commercialization of emerging eDNA tools, including autonomous and AI-enabled sampling systems.

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eDNAtec and the National Estuarine Research Reserve Association.

Thank you!

MAINE: Maine senators raise red flags on ropeless gear mandate

April 10, 2026 — Maine’s two U.S. senators are pushing back on federal efforts to make ropeless gear the centerpiece of North Atlantic right whale conservation, warning that forcing an unproven technology on the lobster fleet could devastate the fishery.

In a letter to Eugenio Piñero Soler, assistant administrator for fisheries at the National Marine Fisheries Service, Sens. Susan Collins, R-Maine, and Angus King, I-Maine, urged the agency to take lobstermen’s concerns seriously and pursue flexible alternatives before pursuing any new rulemaking.

“A single, uniform solution, particularly one that mandates technology that is not yet proven at scale, is not the right path forward for this fishery or for the conservation goals we share,” the senators wrote.

The letter followed the Maine Fishermen’s Forum in early March, where Soler heard directly from lobstermen about the practical barriers to ropeless fishing. The senators echoed what they heard on the ground: small vessels don’t have the capital, deck space, crew, or familiarity with high-tech systems to absorb a forced transition. The Maine Lobstermen’s Association has estimated that transition costs alone would run at least $45 million industry-wide.

Read the full article at National Fisherman

MAINE: Collins, King raise ropeless gear concerns to federal policymakers

April 10, 2026 — U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) are calling for continued engagement with Maine’s seafood industry stakeholders. In a letter to Eugenio Piñero Soler, assistant administrator for fisheries at the National Marine Fisheries Service, the senators urge NMFS to heed the well-founded concerns expressed by Maine’s lobstermen and fishermen regarding ropeless gear and to include them in any further regulatory discussions.

“Maine lobstermen’s concerns about ropeless gear are well-documented and deserve serious consideration. It is important to give full and meaningful weight to concerns raised by fishermen regarding ropeless/on-demand fishing gear as NMFS’s core strategy for North Atlantic right whale (NARW) conservation. We urge you to continue to explore other options, such as Dynamic Area Management with the Maine Department of Marine Resources, and strongly encourage you to continue engaging fishermen directly as your agency approaches new rulemaking on this issue,” the senators wrote.

Read the full article at the Mount Dessert Islander

Collins, King Raise Ropeless Gear Concerns to Federal Policymakers

April 8, 2026 — The following was released by Office of U.S. Senator Angus King:

U.S. Senators Susan Collins (R-ME) and Angus King (I-ME) are calling for continued engagement with Maine’s seafood industry stakeholders. In a letter to Eugenio Piñero Soler, Assistant Administrator for Fisheries at the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS), the Senators urge NMFS to heed the well-founded concerns expressed by Maine’s lobstermen and fishermen regarding ropeless gear, and to include them in any further regulatory discussions.

“Maine lobstermen’s concerns about ropeless gear are well-documented and deserve serious consideration. It is important to give full and meaningful weight to concerns raised by fishermen regarding ropeless/on demand fishing gear as NMFS’s core strategy for North Atlantic right whale (NARW) conservation. We urge you continue to explore other options such as Dynamic Area Management with the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR), and strongly encourage you to continue engaging fishermen directly as your agency approaches new rulemaking on this issue,” the Senators wrote.

The Senators continued, “You heard these concerns directly from lobstermen at the Maine Fishermen’s Forum during the Federal Fisheries Leadership seminar. Lobstermen shared with you firsthand their concerns about the cost of this technology, and the dangers of not knowing where gear is placed in the Gulf of Maine. Small vessels simply would not have access to capital, deck space, crew, or familiarity with high-tech systems to survive a transition to ropeless fishing.”

“We appreciate your willingness to listen, and we encourage NMFS to approach future rulemaking with a genuine commitment to flexibility and co-development directly with stakeholders. A single, uniform solution, particularly one that mandates technology that is not yet proven at scale, is not the right path forward for this fishery or for the conservation goals we share. We look forward to continuing this conversation and welcome the opportunity to work with you and your team directly,” the Senators concluded.

This action by Senators Collins and King is a continuation of their persistent joint efforts in support of Maine’s lobster fishery. In 2022, when NOAA rolled out its Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan (ALWTRP), the Senators urged the organization to create regulations that are based on the best available evidence and not unfairly target the fishery. According to an estimate by the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, adopting ropeless gear would cost Maine lobstermen at least $45 million due to the expense of trawling up, acquiring and adding weak points, purchasing specialized rope, lengthening groundlines, marking gear, and hiring additional crew to complete this work.

The full text of the letter can be found here and below.

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Dear Administrator Soler:

Thank you for taking the time to attend the Maine Fishermen’s Forum in early March and engaging with Maine’s fishing community directly. As experienced firsthand, the Forum brings together fishermen, sea farmers, gear suppliers, state and federal scientists and regulators, and other stakeholders for education, collaboration, and commerce. We appreciate your attention to the serious issues facing Maine fishermen hearing directly from the industries about the impacts of federal regulation. This includes the ongoing discussion on the use of ropeless/on demand fishing gear in the Gulf of Maine.

Maine lobstermen’s concerns about ropeless gear are well-documented and deserve serious consideration. It is important to give full and meaningful weight to concerns raised by fishermen regarding ropeless/on demand fishing gear as NMFS’s core strategy for North Atlantic right whale (NARW) conservation. We urge you continue to explore other options such as Dynamic Area Management with the Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR), and strongly encourage you to continue engaging fishermen directly as your agency approaches new rulemaking on this issue.

In 2022, the Maine Delegation secured a six-year regulatory pause for Maine’s lobster industry, saving the industry from a misguided regulatory approach that would have shuttered our fishery. The regulatory pause language included funding to assist with gear modification and configuration, improve scientific understanding of NARW migration patterns, and invest in right whale-related research, monitoring, and conservation. Funding through the National Fish and Wildlife Foundation has enabled the Maine DMR to create the Maine Innovative Gear Library (MIGL), which began gear testing with participants in the summer of 2024 and has since expanded to four gear hubs spanning the coast from Brunswick to Addison. The MIGL program now has 33 active testers operating across all seven Maine lobster zones, with more than 3,200 hauls completed as of December 2025. While the sample size is small and does not inform the scalability of the technology, it is meaningful progress, and it speaks to the industry’s willingness to engage and provide critical feedback to NMFS that should be taken into consideration. MIGL expects to publish its full results later in 2026.

The program has made important strides, allowing our lobstermen to trial a variety of ropeless technologies in real-world conditions, and collect feedback and data on the use of these gear technologies. Initial data and interviews with lobstermen indicate that substantial issues must be resolved before this technology is suitable for broad implementation in Maine’s fishery. Notably, the lobster industry has raised a number of concerns with this technology, which is an important part of what the Maine DMR is documenting and assessing through this work.

Cost and increased trip time are among the most significant barriers; a study by the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries estimated that a full transition to ropeless gear in the 2015-2019 timeframe would have resulted in an average of $40 million decline in annual revenue and 3.5 million fewer pounds (a 20% decline) of lobster landed for the Massachusetts lobster fishery—notably, a fishery that is considerably smaller than Maine’s fishery. MIGL interview data also identify time burden as one of the Maine lobster industry’s major operational concerns and the research is exploring the extent to which hauling time per trap increases with on-demand gear. With hundreds of traps per trip, that compounds into a material reduction in daily productivity—one that, for certain gear configurations, rivals the purchase cost of the equipment itself.

Interoperability is another unresolved and critical challenge. There are more than a dozen manufacturers currently developing ropeless systems, and currently, there is no demonstrated ability for those systems to communicate or integrate with one another at scale. Research conducted by MITRE determined that acoustic interoperability among on-demand gear systems has not been demonstrated in busy, mixed-gear fisheries alongside mobile groundfish and scallop operations. This matters not only for practical fishing operations, but for safety and enforcement. Without interoperability, it is difficult for fishermen to locate one another’s submerged gear and avoid dangerous conflicts. Yet despite this acknowledged gap, federal communications have at times suggested that the interoperability challenge is closer to resolution than the evidence supports.

As you are aware, industry groups including the New England Fisherman’s Stewardship Association (NEFSA) and the Maine Lobstermen’s Association (MLA) have consistently and publicly shared their serious concerns about a required transition to ropeless gear as the primary management strategy to avoid conflicts with NARWs. In public comments submitted in response to Executive Order 14276, Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness, NEFSA wrote that ropeless fishing gear “presents serious safety risks to fishermen, increases the likelihood of vessel interactions and gear loss, and is fundamentally incompatible with mixed-use fishing grounds”. MLA has communicated similar concerns to the Senate and House Appropriations Committee, the Maine Delegation, and NMFS directly, warning that requiring full compliance with ropeless gear would result in, “a substantial increase in operating costs” and “would undermine Maine’s owner-operator model and could create pressure for consolidation of the fishery.”

You heard these concerns directly from lobstermen at the Maine Fishermen’s Forum during the Federal Fisheries Leadership seminar. Lobstermen shared with you firsthand their concerns about the cost of this technology, and the dangers of not knowing where gear is placed in the Gulf of Maine. Small vessels simply would not have access to capital, deck space, crew, or familiarity with high-tech systems to survive a transition to ropeless fishing.

We believe a patchwork of flexible, dynamic, adaptive approaches that reflect real-world conditions, ongoing technology development, and meaningful stakeholder input offers the best opportunity to maintain a successful fishery, protect right whales, and preserve the working waterfronts and coastal communities that depend on it. We are supportive of the state-federal partnership through which NMFS has been providing support and cooperation to Maine DMR to develop a dynamic management strategy that includes development of a monitoring plan. We encourage NMFS to provide additional engagement from the Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office to make this a feasible management option, prior to the drafting and publication of future rulemaking.

We appreciate your willingness to listen, and we encourage NMFS to approach future rulemaking with a genuine commitment to flexibility and co-development directly with stakeholders. A single, uniform solution, particularly one that mandates technology that is not yet proven at scale, is not the right path forward for this fishery or for the conservation goals we share. We look forward to continuing this conversation and welcome the opportunity to work with you and your team directly.

Sincerely,

King, Murkowski Introduce Legislation to Strengthen American Fisheries

March 30, 2026 — The following was released by the Office of U.S. Senator Angus King:

U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) have introduced legislation to strengthen the American seafood industry by treating it the same as the nation’s farmlands. The American Seafood Competitiveness Act would expand access to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) loan and grant programs for commercial fishermen, seafood processors, and mariculture-related businesses. The legislation would also expand Farm Credit eligibility to businesses providing services to fisherman and fish processors.

“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,” said Senator King. “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.”

“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,” said Senator Murkowski. “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.”

More specifically the American Seafood Competitiveness Act would:

  • Amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to include commercial fishing and fish processing as eligible agricultural activities under USDA programs.
  • Include wild-caught fish and shellfish as eligible agricultural products under USDA’s Local Agricultural Market Program and allow USDA to waive or reduce matching fund requirements, lowering barriers for small and rural operators.
  • Update USDA regulations to ensure seafood processors can access financing to acquire or upgrade processing facilities and address significant operating costs.
  • Expand eligibility for USDA farm ownership and operating loans to allow fishermen to purchase permits, acquire vessels, make capital improvements, and cover operating and maintenance costs.
  • Broaden Farm Credit eligibility to businesses that support fishermen and fish processors, providing access to lending from Farm Credit institutions similar to that available to farm-related businesses.
  • Create additional financing options for coastal businesses and rural communities that rely on the seafood economy, in the same manner as those supported by traditional agriculture.

The American Seafood Competitiveness Act would recognize the seafood industry’s role as “farmers of the sea” by ensuring they have the same opportunities as traditional farmers.

Senator King is a longtime supporter of Maine’s lobster and seafood industry and has worked to ensure Maine fishermen have the same access to federal support as traditional farmers. Last year, he led the Fishing Industry Credit Enhancement Act (FICA) which would allow businesses that provide direct assistance to fishing operations—like gear producers or cold storage—to access loans from the Farm Credit System (FCS) that are already offered to service providers for farmers, ranchers and loggers. The American Seafood Competitiveness Act includes the assistance programs from FICA in addition to the other proposed programs that extend economic aid to fish and seafood businesses.

US bill would give commercial fishers access to USDA programs

March 30, 2026 — 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.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

US senators ask Trump administration to release more H-2B visas for 2026

November 21, 2025 — United States senators are asking the Trump administration to release the maximum number of additional H-2B temporary visas for 2026 to support seasonal employers, such as the domestic seafood industry.

“Chronic labor shortages – faced by seasonal U.S. employers throughout the nation’s history – have been exacerbated by the post-pandemic evolution of the American workforce. As this need grows, so does the pressure on U.S. workers, whose employers’ workforce needs cannot be met with American workers alone,” U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) and U.S. Senator Mike Rounds (R-South Dakota) wrote in a joint letter to the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Labor (DOL). “Issuing the extra discretionary H-2B visas in a timely manner will help alleviate these workforce shortages and, in doing so, will help create and sustain the jobs of American workers who rely on the H-2B workers to support their duties during their peak seasons.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Murkowski and King reintroduce Working Waterfronts Act

June 11, 2025 — Senators Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) and Angus King (I-ME) are doubling down on their bipartisan effort to fortify the backbone of America’s coastal economy. On June 6, the two reintroduced the Working Waterfronts Act, a bill designed to boost shoreside infrastructure, maritime workforce development, and economic resiliency in fishing communities from Alaska to Maine.

Originally introduced in February 2024, the legislation included more than a dozen provisions aimed at building capacity across the blue economy while helping fishermen and seafood processors face down the mounting challenges of climate change and shifting fisheries dynamics.

“One of my priorities this Congress was reintroducing the Working Waterfronts Act, a comprehensive and collective effort to harness the potential of the blue economy for Alaska’s coastal communities,” said Senator Murkowski. “With 66,000 miles of coastline, it is vital Alaska strengthens our shoreside infrastructure and supports workforce development to ensure the sustainability and growth of our fisheries, tourism, and mariculture sectors.”

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

US senators reintroduce working waterfront legislation

June 10, 2025 — U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) and U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) have reintroduced the Working Waterfronts Act, legislation that would provide several sources of financial support to the nation’s commercial fishing sector and the coastal businesses that support it.

“Maine’s coastal communities are changing. From a warming climate to an evolving economy, the Gulf of Maine faces both historic opportunities and challenges that will define our state’s success for generations,” King said in a statement. “The Working Waterfronts Act would provide Maine’s working waterfronts up and down the coast with the necessary financial, energy, and infrastructure resources to adapt to the rapidly shifting dynamics of natural disasters affecting economic and tourism operations. It would also help support the necessary workforce to sustain our coastal businesses.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource