Saving Seafood

Trump administration releases its expanded oil and gas drilling plan

November 21, 2025 — Californians were already gearing up for battle even before the Trump administration released a draft plan on Nov. 20 that proposes a broad expansion of oil and gas drilling and lease sales along America’s coasts, including California, Alaska and west of Florida.

The Department of the Interior announced as many as 34 potential offshore lease sales across 21 of 27 existing Outer Continental Shelf planning areas, covering roughly 1.27 billion acres. That includes 21 areas off the coast of Alaska, seven in the Gulf of America and six along the Pacific coast.

The plan quickly drew opposition from state leaders and environmental groups – and support from some business organizations. California Attorney General Rob Bonta said his office fully opposes the plan.

Read the full article at USA Today

Red Lobster’s latest turnaround initiatives include new seafood boil flavors, cocktails

November 13, 2025 — Restaurant chain Red Lobster, which has implemented several initiatives intended to turn around sales after emerging from bankruptcy last year, has released new flavors for its seafood boils, as well as cocktails and new entrées, to further boost sales.

The Orlando, Florida, U.S.A.-based operator of more than 500 restaurants globally first launched seafood boils as part of its Crabfest promotion this summer. At that time, it debuted the Mariner’s Boil, which includes a Maine lobster tail, a dozen shrimp, snow crab legs, corn, and red potatoes, and the Sailor’s Boil, which features shrimp, smoked sausage, corn, and red potatoes.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

FLORIDA: An expanded snapper season is proposed for Florida anglers

November 11, 2025 — Florida has formally asked federal officials for the authority to manage red snapper in the Atlantic Ocean, Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Monday.

The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission submitted an “Exempted Fishing Permit” to U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick seeking to allow the state to assume management of recreational red snapper in state and federal waters off Florida’s eastern coast starting in 2026.

“We know that we can do this effectively, and we know that this is something that could make a big difference for our recreational anglers, particularly in Northeast Florida,” DeSantis said Monday during an event at Amelia Island Marina in Fernandina Beach.

Read the full article at the Sun Sentinel

Southern states ask US government to hand over control of red snapper management

October 29, 2025 — Officials from three Southern states are again asking the U.S. federal government to cede its regulatory authority over red snapper fishing in the South Atlantic Ocean to state governments, arguing that more local control of the species will be better for the fisheries.

While the South Atlantic red snapper fishery is federally designated as subject to overfishing, recreational fishers claim the fish population is far greater than official numbers, and state representatives and officials have resisted all efforts to limit fishing.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Florida’s Oldest Seafood Trade Group Joins Menhaden Debate, Defending Science-Based Management

October 27, 2025 — The following was released by the Southeastern Fisheries Association:

The Southeastern Fisheries Association (SFA) — established in 1952 and describing itself as Florida’s oldest seafood industry association with members ranging from fishermen and boat owners to processors, markets, bait providers, restaurants, transportation companies, for-hire charter operators, and consumers from North Carolina through Texas — has urged the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Menhaden Management Board to reject drastic new quota reductions and keep management rooted in the fishery’s risk framework and established reference points.

In a formal letter to the Commission, SFA pointed to the most recent ecological reference point (ERP) assessment, which, the group wrote, “again found that the stock is not overfished and overfishing is not occurring,” adding that “management has consistently been more conservative than single-species reference points would have historically prescribed.”

The association said those findings demonstrate that current controls are already protecting the resource.  “The probability of exceeding the ERP F THRESHOLD under current management is low,” the letter states.  Because of that low risk, SFA argued against the sweeping 55-percent harvest cuts being discussed by some commissioners and outside advocates.

Instead, SFA proposed a narrowly precautionary adjustment to the coast-wide total allowable catch (TAC).  “The coastwide TAC should not be reduced by more than a precautionary 10 percent (i.e., no lower than 210,195 metric tons). This would ensure no chance of overfishing in 2026 and only about a 1 percent probability if maintained through 2027–2028.”  The association emphasized that anything more severe would be inconsistent with the science and the Commission’s own risk analysis.

The letter also reminded commissioners of the guiding fairness standard contained in the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s Interstate Fisheries Management Program Charter: “Management measures shall be designed to achieve equivalent management results throughout the range of a stock.”  SFA cautioned against using allocation changes to offset or disguise politically motivated quota reductions, arguing that management should remain consistent across jurisdictions.

On Chesapeake Bay issues, SFA advised the Board to hold off on any new restrictions until the recently funded Bay-specific research is complete. “The Board should await this new and relevant science before taking further action.” the association wrote, referring to the Science Center for Marine Fisheries (SCEMFIS) study now underway to design a scientifically defensible Bay harvest cap.

SFA concluded that the Commission’s present management already provides a strong, precautionary framework.  By the association’s own assessment, “The probability of exceeding the ERP F THRESHOLD under current management is low,” and therefore, it said, “The coastwide TAC should not be reduced by more than a precautionary 10 percent.”  The group urged commissioners to let those numbers — not politics — guide their decision.

Read the full letter here

FLORIDA: ‘Out of sight, out of mind’: Scientists warn rare Florida reef could be destroyed again

October 7, 2025 — Beneath the surface of the Atlantic, about 15 miles off the coast of Fort Pierce, lies one of the most unique coral reefs in the world — and one of the most fragile.

Known as the Oculina Bank, this 300-square-mile deep-water reef was the first of its kind ever discovered.

But this protected ecosystem now faces potential destruction as federal officials consider reopening parts of it to shrimp trawling after decades of restrictions.

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council, one of eight federally appointed councils across the country, proposed two amendments this year that would allow commercial shrimp boats to drag massive nets across portions of the reef.

The proposals directly respond to a Trump administration executive order calling for reduced fishing regulations and enhanced economic opportunities for the seafood industry.

Read the full article at WPTV

Sea Grant strengthens America’s working waterfronts

October 3, 2025 — The U.S. maritime economy is growing faster than the economy as a whole, supporting over 2.6 million jobs and contributing $511 billion to the nation’s GDP.

From lobster docks in Maine to oyster farms in Florida, kelp farms and commercial fisheries on the West Coast to maritime training in Alaska, charter fishing in the Gulf, and inland shipping in the Great Lakes, America’s coastal and freshwater industries are fueling economic growth, feeding families, and sustaining communities.

At the heart of that growth is Sea Grant, a trusted federal program linking science, communities, and industry across every coastal and Great Lakes state. According to the most recent federal data, the marine economy grew by 5.9 percent in GDP, outpacing national GDP growth, and Sea Grant plays a critical role in sustaining and accelerating that momentum.

Modeled after the Land Grant college system that helped transform American agriculture, the Sea Grant college program has spent more than 50 years doing the same for the nation’s marine and freshwater economies, combining applied research, hands-on education, and direct investments in communities and businesses to promote sustainable growth.

That model works. It works for the charter boat captain who needs up-to-date science on fish stocks, reef health, and ocean conditions. It works for the shellfish farmer navigating complex permitting processes, building a skilled workforce, and developing business plans to stay competitive. It works for the lobsterman who relies on data about juvenile lobsters entering the fishery to make informed decisions about their gear, boat, and future, because without that data, they’d be navigating blind. It works for the seafood processor hiring the next generation of workers, and for the harbor manager planning infrastructure upgrades to withstand future storms. It works for the grocery shopper a thousand miles from the coast looking for fresh, healthy seafood, and for the inland communities whose economies depend on waterborne trade and shipping. It works for families, for small businesses, for regional economies, and ultimately, for the nation.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

FLORIDA: Immigration raids and tariffs threaten to sink Florida Keys lobster industry

September 15, 2025 — In Marathon, Florida, almost halfway between Miami and Key West, lobster fishermen are being hired at $250 a day. But beware — commercial fishing has nothing glamorous about it, and many who showed up quit after the very first day. A “long” day means heading out to the Gulf of Mexico at 1 a.m. and returning at 6 p.m., after hauling and resetting 500 wooden traps that weigh nearly 150 pounds (70 kilos) each when filled with lobsters. The work is an orchestrated frenzy: one man hauls up the trap, another pulls out the lobsters, measures them, and stows them, while another cleans the wooden cage and stacks it, ready to go back into the sea — a choreography of orange overalls.

It’s brutal, dangerous labor that requires fishing to be in your blood. Many of the captains of the lobster boats in the Keys descend from long lines of fishermen, and most of the crews are from Corn Island and Bluefields, on Nicaragua’s Caribbean coast, where the grueling work of artisanal shellfishing has been the main livelihood for centuries.

Read the full article at El Pais

US Department of Justice indicts Florida seafood company over alleged price-fixing

September 12, 2025 — The U.S. Department of Justice recently filed an indictment accusing multiple individuals at five different seafood companies of price-fixing and antitrust actions.

The indictment, filed in the U.S. District Court for the Southern District of Florida alleges Dennis Dopico, the vice president of unnamed “Company 1” with headquarters in Miami, Florida, and co-conspirators at four other unnamed companies joined in a price-fixing conspiracy against fishermen harvesting stone crab and spiny lobsters in Florida.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

LETTER TO THE EDITOR: WHY FISHING FAMILIES MATTER MORE THAN EVER

August 29. 2025 — Dear Editor:

The Florida Keys are known for their turquoise waters, coral reefs and laid-back charm — but beneath the surface lies a deeper story. It’s the story of the men and women who built this place with salt on their skin and generations of knowledge in their bones: our commercial fishing families.

For over a century, these families have been the heartbeat of our islands. The historic commercial fishing families didn’t just fish — they shaped our economy, our culture and our identity. They taught us how to live with the sea, not just beside it. From the spongers of Key West to the crawfishers of Marathon, their legacy is woven into the fabric of our communities.

But today, that legacy is slipping away.

The truth is hard to ignore: commercial fishing in the Keys is disappearing. Not because we lack demand or dedication, but because the very conditions that allow us to exist are vanishing. Working waterfronts are being replaced by luxury developments. Affordable housing is out of reach for the next generation of fishermen. Gentrification is pushing out the families who’ve sustained this region for decades.

We’re not asking to expand our industry. We’re not seeking to increase our environmental footprint. What we want is simple: to preserve the generational families who continue this tradition with care, skill and respect for the ocean.

We understand the need for balance. We support conservation. We believe in responsible harvesting and gear innovation. But we also believe that the cultural heritage of the Keys must include those who’ve lived by the sea — not just those who vacation beside it.

If we lose our fishing families, we lose more than jobs. We lose the stories, the stewardship and the soul of the Florida Keys.

So we ask our neighbors, our policymakers and our visitors:

Support working waterfront protections.

Demand and choose local seafood.

Teach your children about the people behind the catch.

The future of the Keys should include the voices of those who’ve weathered its storms, hauled its traps and kept its traditions alive.

The tide is changing — but our story isn’t over yet.

Sincerely,
Jerome Young
commercial fisherman & executive director of the Florida Keys Commercial Fishermen’s Association