Saving Seafood

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during the first several months of Trump’s second term, the government has laid off hundreds of NOAA employees and rescinded much of the agency’s climate-related funding.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

Reopening the Pacific Monuments

July 21, 2025 — Reopening the waters around the Pacific Monuments will help the U.S. fleet, but they still need to fight a battle in the marketplace.

On April 17, U.S. tuna fishermen in the Pacific welcomed President Donald Trump’s executive order (EO) 14276 directing Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick to review marine national monuments and remove commercial fishing restrictions that conflict with national seafood priorities. Trump also issued a proclamation immediately opening the waters around the Pacific Remote Islands Heritage Marine National Monument, one of the four Pacific monuments.

“The president’s proclamation, issued the same day as his EO 14276, basically opens up the waters between 50 and 200 miles around the Pacific Remote Islands Monument – the islands of Wake, Johnston, and Jarvis – for commercial fishing,” says Eric Kingma, executive director of the Hawaii Longline Association (HLA).

The waters between 50 and 200 miles around the Remote Islands and three other monuments in the Pacific – Papahānaumokuākea, Marianas Trench, and Rose Atoll – had been closed since 2016 to protect tuna and generate spillover of tuna from the protected areas into surrounding waters.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Healthy fishermen for a healthy America‬

July 21, 2025 — The America First Seafood Strategy put forth in President Trump’s “Restoring America’s Seafood Competitiveness” executive order offers a promising vision for the economic resurgence of our fisheries, but first we must prioritize the wellbeing of the very people who can make that vision a reality: our commercial fishermen.

The shuttering of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Center for Maritime Safety and Health, coupled with the proposed elimination of its vital research and training funds in the 2026 Health and Human Services (HHS) budget, represents a dangerous misstep in the pursuit of a healthier nation.

For 40 years, NIOSH’s targeted prevention efforts have succeeded in dramatically improving the safety record of one of the nation’s most dangerous occupations. The data speaks for itself: Commercial fishing fatalities have been slashed by more than 80 percent since these initiatives began.

This isn’t just a matter of saving lives; it’s a sound investment as well as a Coast Guard requirement for many fisheries in order to leave the dock. For every dollar spent on NIOSH’s work, the return is millions in saved costs — from preventing expensive Coast Guard rescue operations to reduced burdens on the healthcare and insurance systems (not to mention our families and communities) for work-related injuries and deaths.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

US tariff announcement fuels uncertainty, boosts diversification push in Indonesia’s seafood industry

July 21, 2025 — Indonesia’s seafood industry is grappling with uncertainty following a new reciprocal tariff announced by U.S. President Donald Trump – a move likely to accelerate the country’s ongoing efforts to diversify its export markets and reduce reliance on the U.S.

On 16 July, Trump announced that the U.S. will impose a 19-percent tariff on Indonesian goods starting 1 August, a reduction from the 32-percent rate initially floated on 2 April. The announcement – made via Trump’s social media platform Truth Social – was later confirmed by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Trump adds new level of scrutiny to wind and solar projects

July 18, 2025 — The Interior Department said Thursday that it would add additional layers of review for wind and solar energy projects, following President Donald Trump’s executive order aimed at ending any “preferential treatment” for renewable energy.

The new requirement threatens to trip up the approval process as wind and solar projects race to begin construction by a deadline next July to qualify for tax credits, which have been gutted by Trump’s signature One Big Beautiful Bill that Congress approved this month. The department’s policies apply to projects on federal lands and waters, but generally not to those on private property.

Also on Thursday, Trump issued a proclamation exempting several coal plants in Ohio, Colorado and Illinois from stricter Biden-era rules limiting mercury and other toxic emissions through 2029.

“The Federal Government plays a pivotal role in ensuring that the Nation’s power supply remains secure and reliable,” the proclamation said. “Forcing energy producers to comply with unattainable emissions controls jeopardizes this mission.”

Separate proclamations gave exemptions from toxic emissions rules to 25 chemical manufacturers including Shell Chemical and to certain iron ore processing facilities, including two operated by the U.S. Steel Corporation.

Read the full article at The Washington Post

Fulton Fish Market Cooperative rallies to urge Trump to halt Empire Wind project

July 18, 2025 — Bronx, New York City, USA-based Fulton Fish Market Cooperative held an emergency rally on 16 July to urge U.S. President Donald Trump to halt the Empire Wind offshore wind project that seafood industry stakeholders claim will put their livelihoods at risk.

Seafood industry stakeholders gathered at the event – many of whom were unionized employees of the market – said the project threatens their livelihoods and those in New York’s seafood industry. Fulton Fish Market Cooperative CEO Nicole Ackerina said the project will heavily damage the industry and push it out of the region.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

USTR launching Section 301 investigation on Brazil days after Trump threatened high tariffs Chris Chase Chris Chase

July 18, 2025 — The U.S. Trade Representative (USTR) has launched Section 301 investigation against what it said are potentially unfair trade practices used by Brazil, just days after U.S. President Donald Trump threatened 50 percent tariffs on the country over claims it was treating former President Jair Bolsonaro unfairly.

According to a release from the USTR, the investigation will focus on a range of topics, including digital trade and electronic payment services; unfair, preferential tariffs; anti-corruption interference; intellectual property protection; ethanol market access; and illegal deforestation and whether those acts “are unreasonable or discriminatory and burden or restrict U.S. commerce.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Trump announces tariff deal with Indonesia

July 16, 2025 — U.S. President Donald Trump has announced a tariff deal with Indonesia that will set tariffs for the Southeast Asian nation at 19 percent.

The new deal reduces tariffs from the planned 32 percent initially announced in April 2025. Trump announced the deal on his social media website Truth Social, and it was later confirmed by Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto. The new rate will go into effect on 1 August.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

“We are going to be hitting Covid-level prices soon” – US crab importer warns of tariff-driven cost increases

July 15, 2025 — Though container prices between Asia and the U.S. are down slightly from the highs importers saw in May and June, continued economic uncertainty is likely to drive price increases among some seafood species, Supreme Crab CEO Troy Turkin told SeafoodSource.

“It’s a new world,” Turkin said, describing fast-moving policy evolutions he’s seeing that are affecting his business, which specializes in luxury imports like blue and red swimming crabs and frozen tuna, among other products.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

OREGON: Oregon lawmakers urge Trump admin to unlock funds for ‘catastrophic’ fishery disaster

July 14, 2025 — A group of Democratic Oregon lawmakers are calling on the Trump administration to release $7 million in authorized funding meant to address Oregon’s “catastrophic” fishery disaster.

In a June 11 letter, led by Senator Jeff Merkley, lawmakers urged Office of Management and Budget Director Russell Vought to review and approve a spending plan that’s been resubmitted by the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission.

Lawmakers said the funding is “critical,” to help Oregon’s ocean fishermen recoup lost funds amid declining salmon populations after a fishery disaster was declared for Oregon Chinook salmon for 2018, 2019 and 2020.

Read the full article at KOIN