Saving Seafood

US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick goes against top choices for fishery management councils

July 17, 2026 — U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick has opted to go against some top nominations for U.S. fishery management councils.

In a 26 June announcement Lutnick announced he selected Forrest Bowers, the second choice for the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, instead the Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy’s top choice and current Alaska Department of Fish & Game Board Chair Märit Carlson-Van Dort. For the Pacific Fishery Management Council, Lutnick selected second-choice Chad See, director of the Freezer Longline Coalition, over the Washington Governor Bob Ferguson’s first pic of Jamie Goen, the executive director of the Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers trade group.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

From making a living to saving lives: spent fishing nets are snaring Russian drones in Ukraine

July 16, 2026 — Local fishing nets, once bound for recycling, are now saving lives in Ukraine. The spent nets are being repurposed to protect soldiers from Russian drone attacks.

In the early morning hours of Feb. 24, 2022 Russia invaded Ukraine. At the time, Russian President Vladimir Putin called it a “special military operation.” Now, nearly four-and-a-half years later, the war rages on. And it’s a new kind of warfare, where small armed drones supplement expensive missiles.

A new kind of warfare requires new defense strategies. And, it turns out, fishing nets are an effective tool against exploding drones.

Eric Klose, founder of the Boston-based impact-first investment group Ground Squirrel Ventures learned this on a visit to Ukraine last year. While there, he met with some humanitarian groups, and he posed a question:

“If I could fix one thing, what would you want it to be?”

The answer was simple, and surprising – nets.

Nets cover hundreds of miles of roadways near the front line. They are draped over trees to protect gathering places. They cover trenches, and bombed-out windows and doors.
Big trawling nets, seine nets, and even thin-filament gill nets play a role.

Klose said soldiers cut gill nets into strips and keep them in their packs to use for emergency cover. They seal up openings like bombed-out windows and doors on the front lines.

Read the full article at Maine Public

MASSACHUSETTS: New England Aquarium unveils new exhibit as extended summer hours continue

July 14, 2026 — The New England Aquarium has opened a new exhibit to educate the public on local marine life.

The recently opened New England Harbor exhibit explores harbor life, highlighting how eco-friendly science and design can help cities like Boston “stay resilient,” while allowing animals to thrive, the nonprofit said in a July 13 press release.

The 1,000-gallon exhibit on the aquarium’s third floor presents hermit crabs, deep-sea scallops, sea cucumbers and other local marine life. Guests can also experience a replica living seawall.

Lobster rolls approach $50, but Bostonians appear happy to shell out

March 19, 2026 — How much would you pay for a lobster roll? Martha Stewart recently declared that she wouldn’t serve a one that cost $60 at her new restaurant at Foxwoods Resort Casino. But in the swanky Hamptons, chefs are bracing for a spendy summer, predicting prices will approach $50.

Maine lobster landings have declined for the fourth straight year, state fishing regulators said, as the industry struggles with soaring expenses, including inflation, and climate change, which has driven more lobsters north into Canadian waters.

Lobster rolls aren’t quite $50 in Boston, but they’re getting close. That’s put restaurateurs in a precarious position over an iconic menu item tourists and locals demand. In many cases, it’s better to break even than to lose customers.

“I can’t really charge you $100 for a lobster roll, even though, over the last two weeks, maybe I should be charging $70 or $80,” said Row 34’s Jeremy Sewall, whose restaurants are known for creamy lobster rolls.

Kathy Sidell of Saltie Girl has always tried to keep her lobster roll at $42 or under. “On rare occasions when the prices skyrocket, I will raise the price to $44. But it’s such a signature dish for us. I believe we should keep it as reasonable as possible, in spite of at some points breaking even or even losing money,” she said.

Read the full article at The Boston Globe

44th edition of Seafood Expo North America opens in Boston

March 16, 2026 — Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America opened 15 March in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

The latest edition of the event, produced by Diversified, opened for its 44th edition, running from 15 to 17 March. According to the organizer the three-day event covers 247,915 net square feet, hosting 1,215 exhibiting companies representing 50 countries at the Thomas M. Menino Convention and Exhibition Center. [Editor’s note: Diversified also owns and operates SeafoodSource.]

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Seafood Expo North America back in Boston for 44th edition of North America’s largest seafood trade event

February 19, 2026 — Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America is returning to Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A. from 15 to 17 March for the 44th edition of North America’s largest seafood trade event.

The event, produced by Diversified, is returning to the Thomas M. Menino Convention & Exhibition Center, and will bring together seafood suppliers, processors, equipment manufacturers, and service providers from around the world to showcase products and close deals. [Editor’s note: Diversified also owns and operates SeafoodSource.]

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Vineyard Wind to argue in federal court for getting back to work ASAP

January 27, 2026 — The developer behind a large offshore wind farm near Massachusetts will try to convince a federal judge on Tuesday to allow construction on the project to resume.

Attorneys for the company, Vineyard Wind, will ask the judge to hit pause on a federal order that stopped work on the nearly complete project. The Trump administration suspended work on Vineyard Wind and four other offshore wind projects last month, citing unspecified national security concerns.

In a subsequent lawsuit, Vineyard Wind accused the government of acting unlawfully and of abusing its statutory power  — a move the company said is costing it $2 million for each day that construction is shut down.

Tuesday’s hearing in U.S. District Court in Boston comes amid mounting public outrage over the region’s high energy costs, and concerns about how New England will handle the projected growth in electricity demand over the next decade. The hearing also comes after judges allowed construction to resume — at least temporarily — on three other East Coast offshore wind projects that were similarly shut down by last month’s federal order.

Given the outcome of those cases, Timothy Fox, managing director at ClearView Energy Partners, an independent research firm that tracks offshore wind projects, said Vineyard Wind stands a good shot at getting its temporary restraining order, too.

Read the full article at wbur

MASSACHUSETTS: Boston Harbor shellfishing poised to reopen after a century

January 9, 2025 — For nearly 100 years, most of Boston Harbor has remained closed to shellfishing for direct human consumption- a legacy of a 1925 national typhoid epidemic linked to contaminated oysters. In the decades since, only a small number of specially licensed harvesters were allowed into limited areas of the harbor to collect moderately contaminated soft-shell clams, which were required to be sent to a shellfish purification facility before entering the market.

That long-standing restriction is now on the verge of changing.

Thanks in large part to the multi-billion-dollar Boston Harbor clean-up, water quality has improved enough for portions of the harbor to be reclassified as Conditionally Approved, allowing shellfish to be harvested for direct consumption. The areas under consideration include some of the most productive shellfish habitats in the state, located in parts of Winthrop, Hingham, and Hull. Once reopened, both commercial and recreational shell fishermen will be able to harvest shellfish for personal use or direct sale for the first time in a century.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

North Coast Seafoods raised USD 33,000 for breast cancer research via month-long oyster fundraiser

December 30, 2025 — Family-owned Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.-based sustainable seafood supplier North Coast Seafoods raised USD 33,632 (EUR 28,691) for breast cancer research and patient programs through a month-long oyster fundraiser. 

Throughout the month of October, North Coast collected a share of all proceeds from oysters sold at restaurants it supplies to be donated to the American Cancer Society at its inaugeral 13 November Shuck Cancer event in Boston.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

43rd edition of Seafood Expo North America opens in Boston

March 17, 2025 —  Seafood Expo North America/Seafood Processing North America, North America’s largest seafood trade event, kicked off on 16 March in Boston, Massachusetts, U.S.A.

North America’s largest seafood trade event – produced by Diversified – opened for its 43rd edition, running from 16 March through 18 March. The latest edition of the event occupies 249,665 net square feet with 1,215 exhibiting companies from 51 countries – including new participating countries from Bahrain, Croatia, Ireland, Mauritius, Puerto Rico, and United Arab Emirates; and an increased presence from countries including China, Ecuador, France, Japan, Norway and Vietnam, Diversified said. [Editor’s note: Diversified also owns and operates SeafoodSource.]

Read the full article at SeafoodSource