Saving Seafood

New trade framework gives US seafood preferential access to EU markets

August 21, 2025 — The U.S. and the European Commission have released a joint framework covering the recent trade deal between the two sides, which will see preferential market access for a range of products, including seafood.

The E.U. agreed to a trade deal with the U.S. on 28 July, just days before the 1 August deadline that U.S. President Donald Trump set for achieving some form of agreement. Without the deal, goods from the E.U. entering the U.S. would have faced tariffs as high as 30 percent.

Read the full article at Seafood Source

Future Of Commercial Fishing In Protected Pacific Waters In Courts’ Hands

August 20, 2025 — Hawaiʻi-based longliners have logged more than 900 hours pursuing tuna in previously protected parts of the Pacific Ocean, online tracking data shows, since President Donald Trump lifted a commercial fishing ban in late April.

That new fishing opportunity disappeared recently when a district court judge ruled that U.S. fishery officials didn’t follow proper procedures before opening up the vast waters that form the Pacific Islands Heritage Marine National Monument.

The remote area has become the latest flashpoint between conservationists who want more of the Pacific placed off-limits to better protect tuna stocks and sensitive marine environments and regional fishing leaders who say they need access to more fishing grounds — who now have Trump’s ear.

Those leaders have already stated they’d like to see the waters around the Papahānaumokuākea National Marine Sanctuary opened up as well.

For the monument, Judge Micah Smith found that officials should have sought public input before enacting Trump’s order, which ultimately aims to reopen more than 400,000 square miles of deep ocean. Smith said they also need to publish new, proposed fishing rules in the Federal Register.

Read the full article at Civil Beats

US tariffs reshaping trade dynamics of Asia’s top shrimp exporters

August 18, 2025 — The U.S.’s reciprocal tariffs on many shrimp-exporting countries are realigning global supply chains and forcing major Asian producers, including Vietnam, Indonesia, and India, to rethink their strategies.

India, the largest shrimp supplier to the U.S., faces the most severe impact from the newly implemented tariffs. The nation is currently subject to a 25 percent reciprocal tariff, which could jump to 50 percent on 27 August under a new executive order from U.S. President Donald Trump. When combined with existing anti-dumping (AD) and countervailing duties (CVD), the total tariff burden could reach as high as 58.26 percent.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Tariff-related slowdown for logistics sector could spell trouble for retailers, consumers

August 18, 2025 — Shipping and logistics experts are predicting a sector-wide slowdown after U.S. President Donald Trump recently announced he was extending a pause on proposed tariffs on Chinese imports.

The first pause on U.S.-China tariffs, which was announced in May, resulted in a rush of cargo into the U.S. from the Far East. Rates for shipping containers went up, container availability went down, and U.S. ports saw record high volumes.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

NEW JERSEY: New Jersey revokes approval for Atlantic Shores offshore wind farm; company calls it ‘a pause’

August 14, 2025 — New Jersey utility regulators on Wednesday canceled their preliminary approval of the Atlantic Shores offshore wind energy project as the industry continues to struggle with financial challenges and an all-out assault from President Donald Trump.

But the company called the action “a pause,” not necessarily the end of the project.

The state Board of Public Utilities terminated the Offshore Wind Renewable Energy Certificate for Atlantic Shores, a proposed two-phase wind farm between Atlantic City and Barnegat Light with 197 wind turbines capable of powering 1 million homes.

On June 4, Atlantic Shores asked the BPU to do so, saying the project is “no longer viable” due to Trump’s war on wind power and economic challenges facing the industry.

But it also indicated it might seek to revive the project in the future, calling the cancellation “a reset period.”

Read the full article at The Press of Atlantic City

Trump delays tariffs on China for another 90 days

August 13, 2025 — U.S. President Donald Trump has signed an executive order further delaying a proposed tariff increase for another 90 days.

The latest order, “Further Modifying Reciprocal Tariff Rates to Reflect Ongoing Discussions with the People’s Republic of China,” cites ongoing trade talks between U.S. and Chinese officials as a reason for the delay. With the new order, the existing suspension on tariffs will now last until 12:01 a.m. Eastern Standard Time on 10 November.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

New tariffs could boost Gulf Coast seafood industry, as lawmakers push for sustainable aquaculture

August 8, 2025 — New tariffs ranging from 15% to 20% take effect this week on a wide range of imported goods, including fruits, vegetables, meat, dairy, and fish.

While shoppers may feel the pinch at the checkout, some in the U.S. seafood industry see an opportunity.

Nearly 85% of the seafood consumed in the United States is imported, according to Galveston fisherman, Scott Hickman. Major seafood suppliers including Vietnam and Indonesia both now facing new tariffs of up to 20%. The changes, part of the latest round of President Donald Trump’s trade war, are prompting renewed focus on sourcing food domestically.

For longtime Galveston fisherman Hickman, this is a welcome shift.

“America’s become addicted to cheap seafood that’s raised in ways they wouldn’t approve,” Hickman said. “Most Americans, I think, would rather spend a little bit more for the shrimp po’ boy or the crab fingers if they know it’s American-produced.”

Hickam says tariffs level the playing field for fishermen. He’s also pointing to new legislation in Congress looking to expand seafood production in the United States.

Read the full article at Click 2 Houston

New turtle excluder device showing promising signs of protecting both juvenile turtles and maintaining shrimp catch

August 7, 2025 — A new turtle excluder device (TED) design being tested in the Gulf of Mexico, currently referred to as the Gulf of America by the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump, aims to save juvenile turtles from bycatch without diminishing shrimp catch. 

TEDs have long been used by shrimp trawlers to reduce sea turtle bycatch. The current industry standard, while successful at reducing bycatch of adult sea turtles, often fails to exclude juvenile turtles, which can fit between their 4 inch-spaced bars.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

US retail, restaurant groups express grave concerns with new tariff rates

August 6, 2025 — U.S. retail and restaurant trade groups are urging President Donald Trump to lower tariffs and pursue other measures to achieve his trade goals after he recently issued an executive order implementing new duty rates on 69 countries and the European Union.

“We encourage the [Trump] administration to negotiate binding trade agreements that truly open markets by lowering tariffs, not raising them,” National Retail Federation Executive Vice President of Government Relations David French said. “These higher tariffs will hurt Americans, including consumers, retailers and their employees, and manufacturers because the direct result of tariffs will be higher prices, decreased hiring, fewer capital expenditures, and slower innovation.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

RHODE ISLAND: Proposed NOAA cuts raise concerns for Rhode Island’s fishing industry

August 4, 2025 — President Donald Trump’s proposed budget for the upcoming year includes significant cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), spurring pushback from Rhode Island lawmakers.

The administration is proposing a $1.6 billion year-over-year reduction to NOAA’s budget. The plan specifically calls for the complete elimination of funding for climate research in fiscal year 2026, which begins Oct. 1.

Some of these proposed cuts have already raised alarms among those who depend on NOAA’s services — particularly commercial fishermen in the Ocean State.

Point Judith fisherman Frederick Mattera has more than 40 years of experience. Mattera said his industry relies heavily on two specific aspects of NOAA that are at risk in next year’s budget: climate research and weather data.

Read the full article at WPRI