May 8, 2026 — Just over two months after it was approved by the state legislature, Georgia Governor Brian Kemp has signed a bill requiring clear labeling of imported shrimp into law.
“The enactment of HB 117 is a huge victory for Georgia shrimpers, who organized an effective grassroots campaign to ensure that consumers have the ability to choose U.S. wild-caught shrimp when they dine out,” Southern Shrimp Alliance Director Blake Price said in a release.
April 29, 2026 — Whale researchers report endangered North Atlantic right whales have completed their most successful calving season since 2009, with 23 mother-calf pairs to help rebuild a population estimated at only about 380 animals.
The annual calving season off the southeastern United States, from the Carolinas to Georgia and Florida, runs from mid-November until mid-April and is closely monitored by aerial survey teams.
Scientists with the Anderson Cabot Center for Ocean Life at the New England Aquarium track the season closely. In an April 29 statement they reported there were shorter intervals between calving for the majority of the adult female whales.
“While a healthy right whale can give birth every three to four years, we had been seeing nearly 10 years between calves for some females. Many of this year’s moms have had shorter intervals—18 of them previously gave birth within the last six years—giving us hope that they may be healthier and can help grow the population faster,” said Amy Warren, scientific program officer for the Anderson Cabot Center.
April 23, 2026 — North Atlantic right whales, a beleaguered species of fewer than 400 individuals, gave researchers new reason to hope this winter off the coast of Georgia.
The bus-sized giants migrate to the Southeast to give birth. And for this calving season they did so in numbers unseen in nearly two decades, producing at least 23 calves that survey teams documented from planes and boats.
In all, the Georgia team saw 122 individual whales, about a third of the entire population.
“It was a really, really great season,” said Jessica Thompson, a senior wildlife biologist with the Georgia Department of Natural Resources and manager of the agency’s marine mammal program.
Thompson and her team saw right whales of all ages, from newborn to 50-something. And they saw them nearly every time weather and sea conditions allowed them to look.
“It was a really joyful and fantastic time in the calving grounds this season, because I think we only had one vessel survey where we did not work with whales the whole season,” she said.
February 17, 2026 — The Trump administration is taking steps toward shifting regulatory authority over red snapper in Atlantic Ocean federal waters to states, a move that some state leaders have argued is necessary to sustain their sportfishing economies.
NOAA Fisheries announced Wednesday it would open a 25-day comment period on “exempted fishing permits” for Florida, Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.
The permits would allow the states to “test new data collection methods and strategies for state-led management of the recreational red snapper fishery,” the agency said.
February 17, 2026 — The Georgia state legislature has passed a bill requiring restaurants to clearly label imported shrimp on their menus or with a public placard, sending it to Governor Brian Kemp to be signed into law.
“This bill simply requires that shrimp sold in foodservice establishments must be labeled as foreign imports IF they are not domestic,” State Representative Jesse Petrea, who sponsored House Bill 117, said in a social media post shortly after it passed the Georgia General Assembly. “This measure provides transparency for consumers and will benefit our GA Shrimpers.”
February 13, 2026 — Today, NOAA Fisheries announced that they are accepting public comments on applications for Exempted Fishing Permits (EFPs) from Florida, Georgia, North Carolina, and South Carolina.
These permits propose to extend recreational fishing seasons for vulnerable red snapper in the South Atlantic. Overfishing drove the red snapper population to just 11 percent of its historical abundance; in response, seasons were reduced as part of a rebuilding plan set to last through 2044.
February 11, 2026 — NOAA Fisheries announced today a major collaborative step toward boosting red snapper recreational fishing opportunities in the South Atlantic. The agency invites public comments on applications for Exempted Fishing Permits (EFPs) from Florida, Georgia, South Carolina, and North Carolina. The EFPs are designed to test new data collection methods and strategies for state-led management of the recreational red snapper fishery.
This 25-day public comment period marks an important step in NOAA’s review and consideration of management strategies for the recreational harvest of red snapper, which will balance sustainability and economic benefits. These actions are also expected to increase opportunities for American recreational fishermen.
December 16, 2025 — There’s good news and bad news coming out of the North Atlantic right whale calving grounds off the Southeastern U.S.
Two new North Atlantic right whale calves have been spotted in the past week, bringing the tally for the season up to five. They were seen off the coasts of Georgia and North Carolina by an aerial survey team from Clearwater Marine Aquarium Research Institute.
The whale known as Bocce and her new calf were sighted on Wednesday, Dec. 10, off Doboy Sound, Georgia. Bocce is 18 years old and this is her third known calf, according to CMA spokesperson Marsha Strickhouser. Bocce is also the sister of Millipede, another mom this season.
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.
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.