Saving Seafood

Bipartisan fisheries management law would expand eDNA use

September 1, 2026 — Bipartisan legislation introduced this month by the co-chairs of the U.S. Senate Oceans Caucus relies on environmental DNA (eDNA) techniques pioneered by Cornell researcher David Lodge, professor of ecology and evolutionary biology and past director of the Cornell Atkinson Center for Sustainability.

The Fisheries Science Modernization Act would direct the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) to incorporate eDNA tools into their assessment surveys of fish stocks – assessments that inform how many fish can be harvested by commercial and recreational fishers. Eight Republican, Democratic and independent senators co-sponsor the legislation, and multiple fishing industry and environmental protection organizations support it.

“When I started testing eDNA 17 years ago, I was interested in detecting rare species, such as emerging invasive species and endangered species,” Lodge said. “The focus of this legislation is quite different. Here, it’s not just about detecting whether a Pacific hake exists, it’s about estimating how many hake there are, based on how many distinct pieces of hake DNA you can find. It’s pretty astonishing to me that we in the scientific world working on eDNA have come this far, this fast.”

Read the full article at the Cornell Chronicle 

Judge finds decades of failures in coastal fisheries management

August 21, 2026 — A North Carolina judge has ruled that the state violated its constitutional and public-trust obligations to protect coastal fisheries, setting the stage for additional court proceedings that could ultimately affect how the state manages commercial and recreational fishing.

Wake County Superior Court Judge G. Bryan Collins Jr. entered judgment Monday in favor of Coastal Conservation Association North Carolina and 86 individual plaintiffs, concluding that evidence presented during the case “overwhelmingly established” decades of systemic failures in the state’s management of coastal fish stocks, according to Island Free Press.

The ruling does not immediately ban shrimp trawling or restrict gillnets, nor does it close fishing areas or change seasons, quotas or recreational bag limits. Those issues could be addressed during a separate remedy phase. Collins ordered attorneys for both sides to meet within 30 days and submit a joint report within 45 days regarding further proceedings.

Read the full article at National Fisherman

Judge rules North Carolina breached duty to protect coastal fisheries

August 19, 2026 — North Carolina violated its constitutional and public-trust obligations to protect coastal fisheries, a Wake County judge has ruled in a major victory for a recreational fishing organization and 86 residents who sued the state nearly six years ago.

Superior Court Judge G. Bryan Collins Jr. entered judgment for the plaintiffs on Monday after concluding that the evidence “overwhelmingly established” decades of systemic failures in the state’s management of coastal fish stocks.

The decision does not immediately ban shrimp trawling, restrict gillnets, close fishing waters or change seasons, quotas or recreational bag limits.

Those questions could be addressed during a separate remedy phase, and Collins ordered attorneys for both sides to meet within 30 days and submit a joint report within 45 days about scheduling further proceedings.

The plaintiffs are seeking a declaration that the state violated its duties and a prospective injunction requiring the state to protect and rebuild coastal fisheries, rather than monetary damages.

The 190-page order followed a trial that ran from Jan. 20 through Feb. 25 and included testimony from fisheries scientists, current and former state employees, commercial and recreational fishermen, fishing guides and other coastal residents.

Collins found the state breached the public-trust doctrine, which requires it to manage resources belonging to the public for the benefit of current and future residents.

He also found violations of two provisions of the North Carolina Constitution: Article I, Section 38, which says the right to hunt, fish and harvest wildlife must be preserved for the public good, and Article XIV, Section 5, which establishes a state policy of conserving and protecting lands and waters.

The lawsuit was filed in November 2020 by Coastal Conservation Association North Carolina and 86 individual plaintiffs, including five former members of the N.C. Marine Fisheries Commission.

A 2022 N.C. Court of Appeals ruling allowed the case to proceed and held that the state has an affirmative duty to preserve the public’s right to fish, protect fisheries from destruction and manage them for the public’s benefit.

Collins said that appellate decision established the law he was required to apply during the trial.

Read the full article at Island Free Press

US embassy launched IUU reporting hub in the Philippines

August 14, 2026 — The U.S. Embassy in the Philippines has launched a new initiative to gather community reports of illegal, unreported, and unregulated (IUU) fishing around the Southeast Asian nation and share them with authorities.

“Illegal, unreported, and unregulated [IUU] fishing is both an economic and a national security challenge. It depletes fish stocks, disrupts supply chains, distorts markets, threatens food security, and places responsible fishers and legitimate businesses at a disadvantage,” U.S. Embassy Officer Taylor Fincher said in a release. “Addressing illegal fishing and related maritime concerns is an important area of cooperation between the United States and the Philippines.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Survey Crashers: Encountering Unexpected New Faces in the Gulf of Maine

August 11, 2026 — The sun was out and the sea conditions were ideal. Fish were being hauled onboard at a consistent rate. I was sampling spiny dogfish on the back deck of the F/V Tenacious II when the captain stopped the hauler and said, “Hey, we caught something different.” I looked up at the hauling station and saw the captain unhooking a chain dogfish, a new species to the Gulf of Maine Bottom Longline Survey . The survey focuses on the rocky bottom habitat in the Gulf of Maine. Every year in the spring and the fall, we partner with two commercial fishing vessels to haul up 45,000 individual hooks from the rocky bottom of the Gulf of Maine from 45 randomly selected locations. We conduct the survey in parallel with the Northeast Bottom Trawl Survey , which samples in the Gulf of Maine during the same time each spring and fall.

Typically we see spiny dogfish, white hake, and haddock along with a variety of other commercially important species. Over the more than 10-year history of this survey, the species caught are typically similar each season. But, occasionally we encounter new species. This spring, during the first trip of the 2026 season, we were excited to encounter a new species.

New species added to our list: the Chain Dogfish

We were fishing in the southeastern corner of the Gulf of Maine on our first leg of the 2026 spring season, when we added the chain dogfish to our list of encountered species. This was the first chain dogfish ever seen in 12 years of the survey. Chain dogfish have a very charismatic pattern on their body, with intricate black lines that stand out sharply against the gray body resembling a tiger.

  • Species: Chain Dogfish (S cyliorhinus retifer )
  • Habitat: Demersal (near the sea floor)
  • Range: Western Atlantic (Massachusetts to Nicaragua)
    • Most abundant off the coast of Virginia and North Carolina in depths between 120 and 2,500 feet.
  • Size: 4 to 24 inches

Another Uncommon Species to the Gulf of Maine: Golden Tilefish

This survey encountered golden tilefish as well, which are also not typically found in the Gulf of Maine. This season, we were fortunate enough to encounter three individuals during the first leg of the spring survey. Like the chain dogfish, our survey typically encounters this species in the southeastern Gulf of Maine. Golden tilefish have a very distinctive coloration and pattern. Golden tilefish are vibrant deep-sea fish sometimes called “clowns of the sea”. They have bright iridescent blue-green backs, scattered spots of yellow and gold, and crisp white bellies. Their heads are rosy-pink and they feature a large, fleshy crest or flap on top. In addition to the vivid coloration, Golden tilefish are considered a delicacy by seafood lovers.

  • Species: Golden tilefish ( Lopholatilus chamaeleonticeps )
  • Habitat: Demersel along the ocean floor along the outer continental shelf and upper slopes
  • Range: Throughout the western Atlantic Ocean from Nova Scotia, Canada, south to northern South America, including the Caribbean and the Gulf of Mexico. In U.S. waters, they are most abundant from Nantucket Island, Massachusetts, down to Cape May, New Jersey, at depths between 250 and 1,500 feet.
  • Size: 10 to 45 inches

Days at sea can be long and the unfavorable weather conditions can make the work difficult, but getting the opportunity to work on a boat in the Gulf of Maine is one of my favorite aspects of this job. At the end of the last haul of this particular trip, after being on deck all day, the sun was beginning to set. The seas were calm and the sky was clear. The sunset over the horizon, turning the sea surface orange while I was finishing data collection and cleaning up the gear was a scene I will never forget.

Being an avid recreational fisherman myself, the ability to collect data that helps contribute information to improve stock assessments and understand fish stocks is very meaningful to me. I also enjoy seeing new and unusual species come aboard during the survey. As ocean conditions change, seeing new species reinforces how essential long-term data collection is to tracking and adapting to the changing Gulf of Maine.

New Data from the Marine Stewardship Council: U.S. Leads the World in Certified Environmentally Sustainable Fisheries

January 27, 2026 — The following was released by the Marine Stewardship Council:

The Marine Stewardship Council (MSC), a global nonprofit organization that works to end overfishing, today announced 2025 year-end data showing that 90% of U.S. fisheries by volume are MSC certified and meet rigorous requirements for environmentally sustainable fishing practices, making the U.S. a leader in sustainable fisheries.

A trusted nonprofit dedicated to ending overfishing and maintaining a healthy ocean, the MSC sets criteria to ensure healthy fish stocks, minimal harmful impacts on marine ecosystems, and to promote effective and responsive management.

U.S. achievements for 2025 include:

  • 62 species certified
  • More than 1,300 MSC eco-labeled products available in the U.S. market
  • MSC eco-labeled products can now be found in all 50 states

“MSC is proud to partner with U.S. fisheries that have a long-standing commitment to sustainability and the protection of our country’s marine resources,” said Laura McDearis, U.S. program director, Marine Stewardship Council.

“As demonstrated by the 90% of U.S. fishery landings by volume that are certified to MSC’s rigorous requirements for environmentally sustainable fishing, the leadership and great work of our U.S. partners can’t be understated. MSC certification validates U.S. fisheries’ dedication to ensuring the long-term health of our ocean and sets an example for countries around the globe to follow,” continued McDearis.

Other notable MSC certified fisheries milestones in 2025 include the completion of long-term research projects in the Alaska Salmon fishery, in collaboration with the Alaska Department of Fish and Game. In 2025 the Gulf of Mexico and Atlantic menhaden purse seine fisheries were recertified, with support from the National Marine Fisheries Service and the University of Southern Mississippi’s National Science Foundation-supported Science Center for Marine Fisheries, respectively.

In addition, several new fisheries entered the MSC program last year, including the U.S. Atlantic summer flounder and black sea bass trawl fishery. Other fisheries, such as Pacific hake and Louisiana blue crab are celebrating more than a decade of certification against the MSC Standard.

“For nearly ten years, Lund’s Fisheries, Inc. has collaborated with the MSC, and our partner conformity assessment bodies (CABs), to assure domestic and international markets, vitally important to our long-term success that the seafood we produce is managed sustainably based on rigorous, annual, scientific and monitoring reviews,” said Wayne Reichle, Owner and President, Lund’s Fisheries. “Our MSC-certified Atlantic sea scallop, Atlantic and Pacific squid, and Atlantic menhaden purse seine, scup, fluke and black sea bass trawl fisheries, have provided us with access to markets that would not otherwise be available to our third-generation fishing company, to the benefit of our community, our employees and our company and independent fishermen whose cooperation we depend upon each day as we plan for the future.

2025 was a challenging year for U.S. fisheries, with increasing pressure to safeguard marine ecosystems against the backdrop of rapidly escalating climate change. Environmental conditions including shifting and extreme weather patterns, as well as distribution and recruitment of fish due to warming waters, greatly impacted U.S. fisheries. A recent study conducted by the MSC and the Common Oceans Program showed that tuna and other highly migratory fish are particularly vulnerable to climate change due to the impacts of shifting stocks and the reduction in the number of fish in the ecosystem due to climate change. The research also found that certification can help mitigate risk, making fisheries potentially more resilient to climate impacts.

On the U.S. seafood markets side, the introduction of tariffs by the Trump administration challenged the seafood industry significantly, affecting seafood trade, imports and prices at retail, as only approximately 38% of seafood consumed in the U.S. is of domestic origin. Nevertheless, MSC certified seafood products continued to grow on the market, with an 8% increase in volume of MSC certified products in the U.S. from 2024 to 2025. MSC certified supply chain partners remain committed to environmental sustainability despite these challenging times, with retailers like Aldi, ShopRite, and Walmart making MSC certified seafood accessible and easily identifiable through in-store signage and online messaging.

“At Wakefern, partnering with MSC has allowed us to create valuable communications tools that help consumers navigate the sustainable seafood options we offer at ShopRite and Price Rite stores,” said Alexandra Emery, Manager of Sustainability and Corporate Social Responsibility at Wakefern Food Corp. “Our Bowl & Basket and Wholesome Pantry frozen products, like wild caught scallops and flounder fillets, are also MSC certified, allowing consumers to shop sustainably and responsibly from our store brand product lines.”

Sustainable wild fisheries are essential to American fishing communities and a resilient, productive ocean, offering a renewable, low-carbon source of nutritious protein. The growing commitment from fisheries and the marketplace to the MSC program reflects a shared vision for that future. Continued commitment by governments, industry, consumers and political leaders is essential in the face of warming oceans, and critical to stay on track to deliver the UN Agenda 2030 goals before the end of the decade, including sustainable development goal 14 to conserve and sustainably use the oceans, seas and marine resources for sustainable development.

Read the release from the Marine Stewardship Council

Study reinforces climate change will cause challenges for managing shared fishing stocks

September 5, 2025 — A recently published study has reiterated the long-discussed issue of climate change causing changes in distribution of marine species – which is putting strain on managing shared fishing stocks.

The study, published in Science Advances, examined 347 different “straddling” fish stocks across 67 species that are present in multiple exclusive economic zones (EEZs) and the high seas. Those stocks are often managed via cooperation between multiple coastal states or between multiple regional fishery management organizations (RFMOs).

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

FAO releases a detailed global assessment of marine fish stocks

June 18, 2025 —  Some of the world’s marine fisheries are recovering under strong, science-based management, but many others remain under pressure, according to a report launched today at the UN Ocean Conference by the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO). It shows just how far effective governance can go and how urgently those gains need to be replicated.

The review of the state of world marine fishery resources – 2025 reports on the biological sustainability of 2,570 individual fish stocks, a major increase from previous editions. Informed by over 650 experts from more than 200 institutions and over 90 countries, this participatory and inclusive report analyzes trends across all FAO marine fishing areas and offers the clearest picture to date of how global marine fisheries are faring.

The report confirms that 64.5% of all fishery stocks are exploited within biologically sustainable levels, with 35.5% of stocks classified as over-fished. When weighted by their production levels, 77.2% of global fisheries landings come from biologically sustainable stocks.

In marine fishing areas under effective fisheries management, sustainability rates far exceed the global average. In the Northeast Pacific, for example, 92.7% of stocks are sustainably fished.

“Effective management remains the most powerful tool for conserving fisheries resources. This review provides an unprecedentedly comprehensive understanding, enabling more informed decision-making based on data,” said QU Dongyu, Director-General of FAO. “This report gives governments the evidence they need to shape policy and coordinate coherently.”

Read the full article at Aqua Feed

Underexploitation of Fish Stocks: A Greater Threat to Food Security than Overfishing

January 15, 2025 —  A groundbreaking study published by researchers at the University of Washington has unveiled fresh insights into the effectiveness of global fisheries management, challenging conventional assessments that focus solely on overfishing. The research, led by Dr. Ray Hilborn, suggests that underexploitation of fish stocks is a far more significant contributor to lost food potential than overfishing. This discovery is central to the study’s introduction of a novel metric—the Commercial Fisheries Food Production Index (CFFPI)—designed to assess the ability of fisheries to maximize sustainable food production.

Key Findings: Underutilization of Fish Stocks

The study evaluates fisheries across 19 data-rich nations and five regional fisheries management organizations (RFMOs). These nations include Iceland, the Faroe Islands, Norway, the United States, Canada, Australia, New Zealand, Chile, Argentina, South Africa, Morocco, Peru, Russia, Japan, and Turkey. The European Union is analyzed separately for its Atlantic and Mediterranean regions, while sub-Saharan Africa is also included. Among the RFMOs studied are the Western and Central Pacific Fisheries Commission (WCPFC), Indian Ocean Tuna Commission (IOTC), International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT), Inter-American Tropical Tuna Commission (IATTC), and the Commission for the Conservation of Southern Bluefin Tuna (CCSBT).

The study reveals that current management practices capture only 77% of the combined maximum sustainable yield (MSY) from fish stocks. Notably, the research attributes 86% of the unrealized food production to insufficient fishing pressure, while overfishing accounts for a mere 14%.

Among international fisheries, the pattern is consistent: the majority of lost potential stems from underexploitation, not overfishing. These findings challenge traditional methods of evaluating fisheries performance, which prioritize preventing overfishing without adequately addressing opportunities to sustainably increase food production.

Introducing the CFFPI

To provide a more holistic assessment, the researchers developed the CFFPI. This index evaluates the long-term food production achievable from fisheries under current management compared to their maximum potential. Unlike conventional metrics focused on stock abundance, the CFFPI emphasizes fishing pressure as the critical variable for maximizing sustainable food production.

By using the CFFPI, the researchers identified that many countries could significantly increase their food production by targeting underexploited stocks, although this may require balancing other objectives such as environmental conservation and employment.

Broader Implications for Fisheries Policy

The study underscores the need to expand fisheries assessments beyond the commonly reported metrics of overfished stocks. While avoiding overfishing remains essential, the researchers argue that increasing fishing pressure on underexploited stocks offers a path to achieving higher sustainable yields. However, implementing such changes will require careful alignment with national and international goals, including ecological sustainability and economic priorities.

The analysis also highlights stark differences in management effectiveness among countries. Iceland, the Faroe Islands, and Norway scored highly on the CFFPI, reflecting their focus on optimizing yields. In contrast, nations like the United States and Australia, often praised for their strong environmental laws, showed lower CFFPI scores due to precautionary policies that maintain low fishing pressure to avoid ecological risks.

A Call for Holistic Evaluation

The researchers conclude by advocating for the adoption of the CFFPI as a standard measure in fisheries management evaluations. Dr. Hilborn emphasizes that the index provides a more nuanced understanding of fisheries performance, accounting for the trade-offs inherent in managing marine resources for food production, environmental health, and socio-economic benefits.

“Simply reporting the proportion of stocks overfished or subject to overfishing, as is commonly done, does not, by itself, provide an adequate basis for decision-making when fisheries management has multiple objectives,” the authors state.

As global food security challenges intensify, this study provides a critical framework for optimizing fisheries management. By adopting tools like the CFFPI, policymakers can ensure that fisheries fulfill their potential as vital contributors to sustainable food systems while balancing ecological and social priorities.

Read the full article here

Tiny Island Chain Wants To Create The World’s Largest Ocean Sanctuary

April 5, 2016 — In an effort to protect fisheries and preserve one of the planet’s healthiest marine ecosystems, communities in a remote archipelago south of Tahiti are working to establish the largest fully protected marine reserve on the planet.

The proposal, which municipalities in the Austral Islands presented to the French Polynesian government on Monday, would ban fishing in more than 385,000 square miles of ocean surrounding the island chain and establish sustainable coastal fishing areas around each of its five inhabited islands.

The Pew Charitable Trusts, which helped the communities draft their proposal, said in an announcement on Tuesday that islanders hope the reserve will “help maintain healthy fish stocks to feed their families and support local fishermen while maintaining Polynesian customs that date back hundreds of years.”

The reserve, if approved, would be roughly the size of California, Nevada and Arizona combined.

Jérôme Petit, director of Pew’s Global Ocean Legacy campaign in French Polynesia, told The Huffington Post that the 6,000-plus residents of Rimatara, Rurutu, Tubuai, Raivavae and Rapa are concerned about the environmental damage affecting the world’s fisheries.

“They say, ‘We fish now in one day what we could fish 20 years ago in one hour,’” Petit said.

The reserve would extend roughly 200 nautical miles around each island, with the exception of the islands’ northern coasts. Sustainable coastal fishing areas extending 20 miles from each island would allow local anglers to fish from boats that are less than 25 feet long, according to the proposal.

Read the full story at the Huffington Post