Saving Seafood

GEORGIA: Right whales return to Georgia coast

November 10, 2025 — North Atlantic right whales have returned to their calving grounds off Georgia earlier than expected. Or at least two of them did.

Anglers videoed the two endangered whales off Hilton Head, S.C., and Savannah Wednesday afternoon, according to the Georgia Department of Natural Resources. Two right whales were also reported near Cape Lookout, N.C., on Saturday but researchers couldn’t determine if they were the same whales.

“It is possible they are the same pair that was seen off Cape Lookout on Saturday,” DNR senior wildlife biologist Jessica Thompson told The Current GA. “The sighting documentation was similar. They had video that made it clear it was two adult right whales, but not clear enough to confirm ID. There was also an unconfirmed sighting at another location in N.C. of a single adult. No others have been seen in the Southeast yet. These are the early birds.”

The state marine mammal of Georgia, North Atlantic right whales are one of the most imperiled large whales, with a population estimated last month at 384 individuals. These bus-sized mammals migrate more than 1,000 miles each fall from Canada and New England to the Southeast. The waters off Georgia, north Florida and South Carolina are considered their core calving area, but they usually arrive in late November or early December.

Thompson, leader of the agency’s work with marine mammals, called the early sighting of these two uncommon but not unheard of. It did create an urgency to “make sure boaters know right whales are back and everyone is aware of the need to be vigilant.” She also encouraged boaters to report all sightings and stay at least 500 yards from any whale seen.

Read the full article at GPB

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

Supporting Fisheries Research and Restoration in Georgia’s Largest Watershed

September 9, 2025 — The Altamaha River Basin in Georgia drains more than 14,000 square miles—including rivers in Athens, Macon, and parts of southeast Atlanta—into the Atlantic Ocean. Fish species like American eel, shad, blueback herring, and sturgeon use the Ocmulgee and Oconee Rivers and other tributaries in the watershed as they migrate upstream. However, several barriers, including the Juliette and Sinclair Dams, limit access to upstream habitat these fish have historically used for spawning. These dams are also reducing the quality of habitat by converting natural, free-flowing rivers into artificial lakes and interrupting the downstream flow of sediment.

NOAA worked alongside state and federal resource agencies to develop a basin-wide plan to re-establish fish passage above human-made barriers. The plan also addressed restoring the quality and quantity of available spawning habitat. To inform strategic fish passage design and implementation of the plan, we funded two university-led studies in the basin.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries 

GEORGIA: Georgia lawmakers approve bill requiring restaurants to label imported shrimp

February 21, 2025 — State lawmakers from the U.S. state of Georgia have passed a bill that would require restaurants to clearly note on their menus if the shrimp they are serving is imported.

“It is time we support our domestic shrimpers and ensure that consumers know what they are eating,” Representative Jesse Petrea (R-Savannah) said upon introducing the legislation in January. “Only 5 percent of imported foods are inspected, and shrimp from Thailand, China, India, and Ecuador primarily are often pond-raised in unsanitary environments. I believe this measure will give consumers the knowledge they need to request domestic and, hopefully, Georgia wild shrimp.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

New technology gives hope to save endangered right whales

January 2, 2024 — Most winter days off Georgia’s coast, scientists crisscross the waves looking for North Atlantic right whales. Those in a boat stay in constant contact with colleagues in a small plane — all scanning the water for whales and, hopefully, newborn calves.

Whale surveys like this are critical to identifying and cataloging every right whale calf that’s born, important work because these are some of the most endangered whales in the world. Just about 370 North Atlantic right whales remain.

But the surveys in the sky and on the water are also imperfect, so scientists are ramping up the effort to track the whales in other ways — especially in the Southeast, where the whales migrate to give birth this time of year.

Read the full article at NPR

Georgia shrimpers struggling as demand for local shrimp declines

September 18, 2023 — Georgia shrimpers say they’re struggling. Several factors have led to the drop in shrimp prices and lowered demand for local shrimp. This is leading one group and some local lawmakers to try to get them some help.

Roy Reagan has shrimped for decades. He says he’s worried about the industry’s future.

“I wanted my son to keep doing this, he works with my best friend here, he’d be fourth generation in my family, and I don’t know that he’s going to make it, he’s going to have to find something else to do… if we don’t get some kind of change,” said shrimper Roy Reagan.

Members of Georgia Commercial Fishermans Association say an influx of imported shrimp is to blame.

According to the FDA, 94% of seafood sold in the U.S. is imported, and shrimp accounts for the largest percentage within that, and they’re sold for much lower prices.

Read the full article at WTOC

GEORGIA: Thunderbolt mayor signs resolution to support Georgia shrimpers

September 14, 2023 — Thunderbolt was built on shrimping, but an influx of imported shrimp is forcing city leaders to take action.

Mayor Dana Williams signed a resolution tonight to make sure a longstanding tradition in coastal regions here at home and across the country is not killed.

Members of the Georgia Commercial Fisherman Association watched as Mayor Williams spoke on the need for economic protection from shrimp dumping.

Read the full article at WSAV

Recruitment Announcement: Citizen Science Project Coordinator

March 28, 2022 — The following was released by The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council) is seeking a Citizen Science Project Coordinator that will support the Council’s Citizen Science Program and help coordinate individual citizen science projects. The Council, headquartered in North Charleston, SC, is responsible for the conservation and management of fish stocks within the federal 200-mile limit of the Atlantic off the coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and east Florida to Key West. The Council’s Citizen Science Program aims to work with fishermen and scientists to facilitate and support the development of projects to address Council-specific research needs.

The Citizen Science Project Coordinator is a full-time, time-limited contract position that will work closely with the Citizen Science Program Manager. The position will primarily focus on coordinating the SAFMC Release project and the continued development of the SciFish customizable citizen science mobile application. The SAFMC Release project works with commercial, recreational, and for-hire fishermen to collect information on released fish via a mobile app. SciFish is being developed to serve as an umbrella mobile application that would support data collection for different fishery-related citizen science projects developed by partners along the Atlantic coast.

See the complete recruitment announcement available from the Council’s website for additional information and application instructions. Applications must be received by April 20, 2022.

Recruitment Announcement Communication and Digital Media Specialist

December 17, 2021 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council (Council), headquartered in North Charleston, South Carolina, is responsible for the conservation and management of fish stocks within the federal 200-mile limit of the Atlantic off the coasts of North Carolina, South Carolina, Georgia, and east Florida to Key West. The Council is responsible for Coastal Migratory Pelagics from New York to Florida and for Dolphin/Wahoo, from Maine to Florida.

The Communication and Digital Media Specialist (CDM) position is responsible for developing a wide range of communication products in support of Council activities. The CDM serves as the Council’s webmaster and administrator for outreach and communication software products and assists other staff in developing documents and graphics to support the Council’s communication needs. Duties include developing digital and print media outreach materials, working closely with other staff to develop graphics and visual aids for Council documents and presentations, and managing the Council’s website and application platforms. The CDM is expected to work effectively in a team-oriented environment with minimal direct supervision while managing multiple tasks simultaneously and meeting deadlines.

Primary Duties and Responsibilities:

•Manage website structure and framework

•Manage and post website content

•Serve as the POC for website design and hosting contractors

•Monitor website use and analytics to inform decision making relevant to updates

•Coordinate third party software vendors and software applications

•Stay current with digital media developments and assist with design or selection of future applications

•Create user-friendly digital and print media in support of Council activities

•Develop documents and graphics to effectively convey technical information to general audiences

•Foster cohesively branded content across multiple communication products and tools

•Manage end-to-end digital projects and coordinate workflow both internally and with outside collaborators

•Serve as a liaison with federal, state, and NGO partners for digital media management

•Participate in outreach activities and events

•Other duties as assigned

See the complete recruitment announcement available from the Council’s website for additional information and application instructions.

 

While demand for seafood is high, inflated costs are proving too pricey for some restaurants

August 4, 2021 — Rising inflation costs have walloped restaurateurs, forcing many to raise prices or scale back on offerings. For some restaurants, that’s meant pulling plates of scallops, crab, lobster, and fish as business owners say pandemic-driven price hikes and shortages have left them little room to make a profit. Bloomberg reports that congested ports and labor shortages have caused big delays and higher seafood prices.

On average, U.S. fishermen are older than 40, and Covid-related disruptions caused many to leave the industry for fields like construction. Seafood prices have risen 11 percent since July 2020, while demand has skyrocketed. One Georgia restaurant owner said he paid an Atlanta seafood distributor $18 for a pound of blue crab before the pandemic; now it would cost him $44. Not an ideal catch.

Read the full story at The Counter