Saving Seafood

Trump administration sends deregulatory wish lists to regional fishery management councils

July 2, 2026 — More than a year after U.S. President Donald Trump issued his executive order “Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness,” the administration is sending wish lists of deregulatory actions to the nation’s eight regional fishery management councils.

“We just announced that President Trump and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick are taking one more big step towards unlocking the fertile fisheries of America,” White House Senior Counselor for Trade and Manufacturing Peter Navarro in a 2 July call with reporters

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

ALASKA: Commerce bypasses governors’ top picks for North Pacific Council seats

July 2, 2026 — In an uncommon move, the U.S. Secretary of Commerce selected the second-choice nominees submitted by the governors of Alaska and Washington for two open seats on the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, bypassing both governors’ preferred candidates.

The appointments, announced June 26 as part of 22 selections across the nation’s eight regional fishery management councils, name Forrest Bowers of Alaska and Chad See of Washington to three-year terms beginning in August.

For Alaska’s open seat, Gov. Mike Dunleavy had nominated Märit Carlson-Van Dort, chair of the Alaska Board of Fisheries, as his first choice. Bowers, who currently serves as acting director of the Alaska Department of Fish and Game’s (ADF&G) Commercial Fisheries Division, was listed as the governor’s second choice.

Bowers brings more than 30 years with ADF&G, beginning as a seasonal technician in Kodiak before serving nearly a decade as deputy director of the Commercial Fisheries Division. He succeeds Rudy Tsukada, chief operating officer of Coastal Villages Region Fund, who is completing his first three-year term on the council.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Trump opens additional areas of Pacific marine national monuments to commercial fishing

June 12, 2026 — U.S. President Donald Trump issued a proclamation opening roughly 500,000 square miles of Pacific marine national monuments to commercial fishing, continuing his push to roll back protections unilaterally enacted by his predecessors.

“President Trump is once again delivering for American fishermen by opening prized Pacific fishing grounds with this Executive Proclamation,” U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in a release. “By restoring commercial fishing in the remote Pacific, we are creating new economic opportunity for coastal communities and restoring U.S. seafood competitiveness.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Trump moves to reopen Pacific remote waters for fishing

June 12, 2026 — A June 11 executive order by President Trump will open some fishing grounds in the U.S. western Pacific, the latest in years of restricting and then reopening national marine monument waters during the Obama, Biden and Trump administrations.

Like Trump’s earlier lifting of restrictions on the Northeast Canyons and Seamounts monument, the western Pacific opening has been long sought by commercial fishermen.

In March the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council voted to restore commercial fishing access across several U.S. Pacific marine national monuments including the Pacific Islands Heritage, Rose Atoll, Marinas Trench, and Papahānaumokuākea Marine National Monuments to federally managed commercial fisheries.

“By restoring commercial fishing in the remote Pacific, we are creating new economic opportunity for coastal communities and restoring U.S. seafood competitiveness,” Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said in announcing the decision.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

NOAA predicts below-normal 2026 Atlantic hurricane season

May 22, 2026 — Forecasters with NOAA’s National Weather Service are predicting a below-normal hurricane season for the Atlantic basin this year. NOAA’s outlook for the 2026 Atlantic hurricane season, which runs June 1 to November 30, predicts a 35% chance of a near-normal season, a 10% chance of an above-normal season, and a 55% chance of a below-normal season.

The agency is forecasting a total of 8-14 named storms (winds of 39 mph or higher). Of those, 3-6 are forecast to become hurricanes (winds of 74 mph or higher), including 1-3 major hurricanes (category 3, 4 or 5 with winds of 111 mph or higher). NOAA has a 70% confidence in these ranges. An average season has 14 named storms with seven hurricanes, including three major hurricanes.

“With the most advanced forecast modeling and hurricane tracking technologies, NOAA and the National Weather Service are prepared to deliver real-time storm forecasts and warnings,” said Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. “Our experts are integrating cutting-edge tools to ensure communities in the path of storms receive the earliest, most accurate information possible.”

“NOAA’s rapid integration of advanced technology, including AI-based weather models, drones, and next-generation satellite data will deliver actionable science to safeguard the lives and livelihoods of the American people,” said NOAA Administrator Neil Jacobs, Ph.D. “These new capabilities, combined with the unmatched expertise of our National Weather Service forecasters, will produce the most accurate forecasts possible to protect communities in harm’s way.”

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries