Saving Seafood

Can killing seals save salmon? Conservationists and Washington lawmakers disagree

July 23, 2026 — A marine wildlife hospital based in the Pacific Northwest is worried about an alarming trend: seals coming to them alive, but gravely injured.

Earlier this month, the organization treated its third seal in less than a year with a gunshot wound. That seal pup, named Waffles, was found over Fourth of July weekend. It had to be euthanized once it was determined its injuries were too severe.

“It’s not uncommon for us to see animals that have been shot,” said Casey Mclean, executive director and veterinary nurse at SR3 SeaLife Response + Rehab + Research. “Historically, we often found those animals dead. Now we’re starting to see more of them alive and suffering from gunshot injuries.”This trend, Mclean believes, is being fueled by misinformation about the role marine mammals play in Washington’s continually struggling salmon populations.

Her concern is amplified by a congressional bipartisan bill from two Washington lawmakers, U.S. Rep. Michael Baumgartner, a Republican, and U.S. Rep. Emily Randall, a Democrat. The Northwest Endangered Salmon Predation Prevention Act (H.R. 9621) would expand the ability of federal, state, and tribal authorities to remove seals and sea lions, known collectively as pinnipeds, from Washington waters in an effort to boost salmon recovery.

In statements to KING 5, both sponsors of the bill lambasted the shooting of the seal pup as illegal, but insisted it should not be confused with what they’re proposing.

“Joe Schmo or any person off the streets shouldn’t be shooting seals or sea lions,” Randall said. “What we have proposed is a robust process to figure out how we can have responsible management of a population that’s decimating our salmon.”

“No one should be illegally poaching sea lions,” Baumgartner said. “I hope the perpetrator is identified and brought to justice. This does not have anything to do with my bipartisan bill to try to save and restore our endangered salmon populations.”

Supporters of the proposal, like the representatives, argue reducing pinnipeds could help struggling salmon populations. However, critics like Mclean say the bill ignores more significant threats to salmon and risks repeating decades-old mistakes in wildlife management.

Read the full article at KUOW

Balancing Energy Production and Aquatic Resources in the Roanoke River

July 23, 2026 — At the Roanoke Rapids Dam, a hydroelectric facility on the Roanoke River in North Carolina, NOAA Fisheries collaborated with Dominion Energy and partners to evaluate how adjusting the flow of water affects migratory fish and mussel populations in the river. Monitoring results are helping to ensure these aquatic organisms have the water flow and habitat they need, while maintaining robust energy production.

When large hydroelectric dams are constructed, the natural river flow is often modified. Water may be diverted through a hydroelectric powerhouse to generate electricity, then into an engineered channel. As a result, portions of the natural river may be cut off or receive less frequent water flow. This alters the river habitat below the dam, which can affect fish and aquatic organisms.

Since the Roanoke Rapids Dam was built, dam operators have diverted a majority of the water flow through a constructed channel so it can be used for electricity generation. This cut off water flow in a portion of the natural river, which became known as the bypassed reach.

In 2004, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a new license to Dominion Energy to operate the hydroelectric dam. At that time, NOAA Fisheries worked with Dominion Energy and other state and federal resource agencies to develop a new, multi-staged water flow pattern for the bypassed reach. Water flow would be increased during certain times of the year to ensure enough habitat was present for American shad and other migratory fish downstream. Three flow levels were planned for the first 20 years of the license: low, medium, and high. The new license also called for regular surveys to monitor the response of fish and aquatic organisms to the different flows.

In 2024 and 2025, scientists evaluated how the three flow levels had affected American shad, eel, and mussels. The results showed that populations in the bypassed reach increased during the medium and high flows, compared to the low flow level. However, the benefits of the high flow pattern were not significantly different from the medium flow pattern. That meant more water could be diverted to the powerhouse for energy production, without negatively impacting fish and mussels.

Based on these findings, Dominion Energy will use the medium flow pattern for the remaining 18 years of the hydroelectric license at Roanoke Rapids Dam. This allows them to generate more electricity during periods of peak demand, while also providing enough water in the river for migratory fish, like American eel and American shad, and other aquatic organisms like mussels during critical stages in their life cycles. The result is a win-win between resource agencies and industry, with parties coordinating closely and recognizing the importance of balancing power production and aquatic resources.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

Deep Diving and Innovation to Restore the Gulf’s Mesophotic Corals

July 23, 2026 — Deep in the Gulf of America lies a vital but little-known habitat. In the “mesophotic” (middle light) zone are coral ecosystems that are essential to the Gulf’s food web. In 2010, the Deepwater Horizon oil spill injured extensive areas of this delicate environment. Today, scientists across federal agencies and partner organizations are working together to restore these foundational habitats.

In the spring of 2026, a mission on board NOAA Ship Nancy Foster set out to achieve ambitious restoration goals. The team focused on planting propagated corals of species Swiftia exserta, Muricea pendula, and Thesea nivea, and collecting samples to better understand the seafloor and local water quality. Some of the corals were planted on new dome-shaped concrete structures. They were specially designed by Marine Applied Research and Exploration to support coral growth and provide habitat for other small marine animals.

New Innovations to Streamline Outplanting

Getting the corals safely down to the bottom is a challenge. In the past, scientists used “coral elevators.” These large, weighted platforms can be lowered from the ship to the seafloor where a remotely operated vehicle can then move the corals into place. However, these were cumbersome to maneuver, and met significant resistance as they moved through the water. Plus, it’s hard for an ROV, or remotely operated vehicle, to precisely place individual coral fragments on the new dome structures. This challenge called for a new way to transport the corals from the surface down to the bottom, and required the use of human divers to plant them precisely in their intended place.

This mission saw the debut of the “coral torpedo,” an invention by Chris Gardner, fisheries biologist with NOAA’s Southeast Fisheries Science Center. Designed with a streamlined shape, it travels quickly through the water column. It acts much like the pneumatic tubes at a drive-through bank teller window to deliver precious coral cargo to the seafloor efficiently and safely.

“We were looking for a way to rapidly get corals to the bottom without a lot of water mixing,” explains Gardner. “The key is to land them in a very precise location. The corals coming from the lab have little bases on them, so we can just pop them in the tube, then at depth the divers have it set up like a little coral buffet that they can pull from and place on the seafloor. This was definitely a prototype, and I have to say it worked even better than expected.”

The new equipment worked flawlessly—safely delivering the delicate specimens down to the divers below. There, the divers made quick work of placing these corals at the designated restoration site.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

US Senate bill would provide more funding for restoring salmon along the San Joaquin River

July 20, 2026 — The U.S. Senate Committee on Energy and Natural Resources advanced legislation providing additional funding for restoring salmon in the San Joaquin River, clearing the bill for a vote from the full Senate.

If passed into law, the bill would triple the cap on funding available under the San Joaquin River Restoration Settlement Act from USD 250 million (EUR 219 million) to USD 750 million (EUR 656 million). The original legislation was passed in 2009 as part of a settlement ending an 18-year-long lawsuit filed by the Natural Resources Defense Council, which blamed government policy and dam operators for causing local extinction of spring-run Chinook salmon in the San Joaquin River.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

US lawmakers advance bill reauthorizing NOAA’s Chesapeake Bay Office

July 17, 2026 — U.S. representatives on the House Committee on Natural Resources voted to advance a bill reauthorizing NOAA’s Chesapeake Bay Office on 15 July.

“The House just took a key step toward investment in the science, restoration, and education that’s essential to the Chesapeake Bay’s recovery,” Chesapeake Bay Foundation (CBF) Senior Policy Director Keisha Sedlacek said in a statement. “We’re grateful to House leaders for advancing the WATERS Act and look forward to action in the Senate on the companion bill.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

MAINE: Maine seeks new ESA tools to speed Atlantic salmon recovery

July 16, 2026 — The Maine Department of Marine Resources (DMR) is asking federal fisheries officials to evaluate whether existing authorities under the Endangered Species Act (ESA) could help accelerate Atlantic salmon recovery while maintaining current protections.

In a June 4 letter to the National Marine Fisheries Service, DMR Commissioner Carl Wilson requested that NOAA review whether the ESA could provide additional flexibility to expand Atlantic salmon recovery efforts. The Bangor Daily News reported that the request could eventually create opportunities for tightly controlled, conservation-oriented catch-and-release fishing if the species recovers.

The request follows decades of habitat restoration, fish passage improvements and river connectivity projects that have benefited Atlantic salmon and other sea-run fish. However, Sean Ledwin, director of the DMR Bureau of Sea Run Fisheries and Habitat, said adult Atlantic salmon returns remain very low despite those investments.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

CALIFORNIA: Calif. salmon fleet returns under limited season three-year closure

July 15, 2026 — California’s commercial salmon fleet is back on the water for the first time since 2022 following a three-year statewide closure, though the reopening remains tightly restricted as fishery managers work to protect rebuilding Chinook salmon stocks.

According to The Press Democrat, state and federal fishery managers reopened the commercial and recreational salmon season in late June after improved rainfall and snowpack during 2023 and 2024 boosted survival rates for juvenile Chinook salmon migrating from the Sacramento Valley to the Pacific Ocean. Those fish have now returned as adults in numbers sufficient to support a limited harvest, though managers continue to closely monitor catches.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

MAINE: Maine is exploring a path that could bring back Atlantic salmon fishing

July 13, 2026 — The Maine Department of Marine Resources is asking a federal agency to review whether existing endangered species laws could provide new tools to accelerate Atlantic salmon recovery, an effort the state says could eventually create opportunities for tightly controlled catch-and-release fishing if the species recovers.

In a June 4 letter to the National Marine Fisheries Service, DMR Commissioner Carl Wilson asked the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to evaluate whether authorities under the Endangered Species Act could provide additional flexibility to expand Atlantic salmon recovery efforts while maintaining existing federal protections.

The request comes after decades of habitat restoration, improved fish passage and river connectivity projects that have benefited Atlantic salmon and other sea-run fish, but adult Atlantic salmon returns remain very low despite those investments, according to Sean Ledwin, director of DMR’s Bureau of Sea Run Fisheries and Habitat.

Read the full article at the Piscataquis Observer

Biden-Harris Administration, NOAA make $100 million available for habitat restoration and coastal resilience

December 6, 2024 — Today, NOAA Fisheries is announcing the availability of up to $100 million in funding for transformational habitat restoration and coastal resilience projects as part of President Biden’s Investing in America agenda, under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law. Through this funding opportunity, NOAA will continue supporting habitat restoration approaches that enhance the resilience of coastal and Great Lakes communities — including tribes — against climate hazards.

Dedicated funding is available for U.S. tribes, Alaska Native corporations and tribal-affiliated organizations. This funding — up to 15% of the $100 million available — is the result of direct feedback from tribes, and demonstrates NOAA’s commitment to ensuring communities and tribes are integral to decision-making that affects their environment and wellbeing.

“Under the Biden-Harris Administration, the Department of Commerce has delivered historic amounts of funding for habitat restoration and coastal resilience that will help strengthen the economies of coastal communities across America,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “These investments have been transformative and will continue to support Tribes and communities on the front lines of the climate crisis, sustain our nation’s fisheries and protect ecosystems from the impacts of climate change for years to come.”

Applications are due by April 16, 2025. For more information, visit the Transformational Habitat Restoration and Coastal Resilience Grants website.

NOAA Fisheries will seek proposals for projects to restore marine, estuarine, coastal or Great Lakes ecosystems. Degraded habitat is one of the largest obstacles to rebuilding sustainable fisheries and recovering threatened and endangered species. Restoration activities such as enhancing coastal wetlands and rebuilding coral reefs can strengthen both ecosystem and community resilience.

NOAA Fisheries will also prioritize projects — ranging from planning and assessments, engineering design project monitoring and capacity building — that demonstrate a broad base of stakeholder and community support. NOAA encourages projects developed with inclusive practices that incorporate meaningful strategies to engage a diverse range of community groups, including tribes and underserved communities.

“Investments in healthy coastal and Great Lakes habitats benefit fish and communities,” said Janet Coit, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “Through funding from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law, NOAA is committed to working with partners, including tribes and underserved communities, to realize the environmental, cultural and economic benefits of habitat restoration.”

NOAA’s habitat restoration work

NOAA’s Community-based Habitat Restoration Program provides technical and financial assistance to partners across the country to develop high-quality habitat restoration projects that support our nation’s fisheries. Since its start in 1996, the Program has helped implement more than 2,200 coastal habitat restoration projects — restoring more than 94,000 acres of habitat for fish and opening more than 4,400 stream miles for fish passage.

NOAA’s habitat restoration experts also provide technical assistance and oversight to design and implement high-impact projects, and work closely in the field with our tribal, state, local and non-profit partners.

Read the full story at NOAA Fisheries