Saving Seafood

SNAP benefits set to expire, but US judge may intervene

October 31, 2025 — Funding for the U.S. government’s Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP) program is set to expire in November leaving millions without benefits, although a U.S. federal judge may order the Trump administration to utilize an emergency fund to make sure some money goes out next month.

“Right now, Congress has put money in an emergency fund for an emergency, and it’s hard for me to understand how this isn’t an emergency when there’s no money and a lot of people are needing their SNAP benefits,” U.S. District Judge Indira Talwani said during an 30 October hearing, according to CNN.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

What’s working, what’s not in the shutdown

October 28, 2025 — The U.S. government shutdown has led to some concerns among fishermen and dealers regarding permit renewals. Among other things, the NOAA Fisheries Southeast Region Permits Office has been unable to process renewals, with some permit holders finding their renewal applications in limbo.

Those with permits expiring during the shutdown have been reassured by the Southeast Regional Permit Office that their permits will remain valid even after their expiration dates, provided they have submitted their renewal applications prior to the existing permit’s expiration. The Southeast Permit Office notification applies to This notification applies to all Gulf of America, South Atlantic, and Highly Migratory Species vessel permits, and dealer permits.

“The permit extension issued by NOAA Fisheries minimizes the potential impact of a government shutdown on shrimpers who file for permit renewals in a timely fashion. We have not heard that permit delays are causing any disruption to normal fishing operations,” says Blake Price, deputy director of the Southern Shrimp Alliance (SSA).

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Shutdown means some fishermen can use expired permits, NOAA says

October 24, 2025 — Fishermen in the South Atlantic and Gulf of Mexico can continue to fish on expired permits through the government shutdown as long as they have applied for renewals, according to NOAA’s Southeast regional office.

In a bulletin issued Wednesday, regulators said the shutdown, now in its 23rd day, has created a backlog of applications at the agency’s St. Petersburg permitting office, creating a potential disruption for thousands of fishermen and dockside dealers who purchase their catches.

Read the full article at E&E News

Shutdown cancels NOAA meeting with regional fishery councils

October 15, 2025 — A planned meeting between NOAA Fisheries’ senior political leaders and representatives of the eight regional fishery advisory councils has been canceled due to the government shutdown.

The Council Coordination Committee, which includes the chairs, vice chairs, and executive directors from each regional fishery management council, was scheduled to meet Wednesday and Thursday to share information and talk about the nation’s fisheries priorities, including compliance with President Donald Trump’s executive order to boost American seafood competitiveness.

The notice for the meeting on the committee’s website noted the cancellation and that it was due to the shutdown.

Read the full article at E&E News

US government shutdown marks the latest challenge in a string of pressures affecting nation’s restaurants

October 9, 2025 — U.S. restaurant operators who have faced various economic pressures all year long are now dealing with complications arising from the U.S. government shutdown.

An extended government shutdown creates “needless economic uncertainty for millions of working families, which impacts how much they can support local small businesses,” National Restaurant Association (NRA) President and CEO Michelle Korsmo told SeafoodSource.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Democrats criticize Trump administration for withholding Congressionally-approved money from NOAA

October 2, 2025 — Two U.S. senators are demanding answers as to why the Trump administration is withholding USD 246 million (EUR 210 million) in Congressionally-approved funding from NOAA.

According to U.S. Senator Adam Schiff (D-California) and U.S. Senator Chris Van Hollen (D-Maryland), a fiscal year 2025 spend plan issued by the Trump administration in August is hundreds of millions of dollars lower than what Congress had appropriated. U.S. President Donald Trump announced nearly USD 5 billion (EUR 4.3 billion) in rescinded funding in August, declaring that his administration “is committed to getting America’s fiscal house in order by cutting government spending that is woke, weaponized, and wasteful.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Funding problems, shutdown force changes for North Pacific Fishery Management Council

October 1, 2025 — After months of uncertainty amid the Trump administration’s deep cuts to the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, the council that manages commercial fisheries in federal waters off Alaska now has all the federal funding that had been allocated to it for 2025 operations.

But the North Pacific Fishery Management Council now faces a new source of uncertainty: the federal government shutdown.

The funding and shutdown complications have reshaped the council’s October meeting, underway this week.

Read the full article at the Anchorage Daily News

NOAA Fisheries continuing seafood inspections, fisheries management despite US government shutdown

October 1, 2025 — NOAA Fisheries will continue conducting seafood inspections, fisheries management, and law enforcement operations during the U.S. federal government shutdown, according to the U.S. Department of Commerce (DOC), although most research efforts will be paused.

The federal government officially entered a partial shutdown 1 October after Congress failed to pass appropriations bills funding several departments and agencies into fiscal year 2026. While the Republican-controlled House of Representatives passed a continuing resolution to keep the government funded for seven more weeks, Republican leaders in the Senate were unable to accomplish the same. Democrats in the Senate have held firm in opposing the stopgap funding bill until Republicans concede on funding health care subsidies.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Congress scrambles to avoid government shutdown, punt funding decisions to March

December 20, 2024 — Lawmakers in the U.S. Congress are scrambling to pass a continuing resolution that will keep the government funded through March after President-elect Donald Trump pressured House leaders to scrap a carefully negotiated deal.

Congress has already missed its mandated 30 September deadline for fiscal year 2025 appropriations, punting any disagreements on the budget until after the November elections.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Looming US government shutdown likely to drag down seafood sector

September 28, 2023 — As the United States barrels toward a shutdown of the federal government, commercial fisheries and the seafood industry are bracing for potential impacts.

The federal government’s fiscal year ends 30 September, but Congress has not passed the 2024 appropriations bills or voted on a continuing resolution that would keep the government open. Lawmakers are scrambling to find a solution that will keep the government fully operating into October, but success seems unlikely, according to Politico.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource