Saving Seafood

Trump administration promises to make U.S. ‘dominant seafood leader’

July 7, 2026 — Advocates for the U.S scallop fleet hailed President Trump’s declaration of a “National Scallops Day” July 2, leading a list of NOAA Fisheries actions the administration says are aimed to “stabilize markets, improve access, enhance economic profitability, and prevent closures.”

Measures for the lucrative Northeast and Mid-Atlantic scallop fishery headed priorities announced by NOAA Assistant Administrator Eugenio Piñeiro Soler. The changes will open the Northern Edge of Georges Bank to the scallop fleet, and advance “permit stacking” on scallop vessels, two reforms the industry’s Sustainable Scallop Fund has sought for years.

“Permit stacking will let scallop permit holders consolidate operations, cut costs, and fish more safely and efficiently. Opening the Northern Edge returns the fleet to a productive, well-managed resource that has stayed closed for years,” the group says.

“We are grateful to President Trump and his team for listening to the men and women of the scallop fleet and acting on their behalf,” said SSF president John Lees. “Permit stacking and Northern Edge access will make our fishery more competitive, more sustainable, and more valuable to the American families who depend on it. This is what it looks like when Washington puts American fishermen first.”

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

NOAA unveils plan to cut seafood regulations under Trump directive

July 6, 2026 — NOAA announced a set of regional priorities on July 2 aimed at cutting regulatory burdens on domestic fishing fleets and boosting seafood production, part of the agency’s response to a presidential executive order.

The announcement follows an August 2025 request for public comment in which NOAA Fisheries sought input from stakeholders, including the eight regional fishery management councils, on ways to stabilize markets, improve access and prevent closures. The agency said it received more than 700 comments from individuals and organizations, along with detailed action plans submitted by each council.

“These regional priorities are a critical step in our efforts to fulfill the President’s vision of making the United States the world’s dominant seafood leader,” said NOAA Administrator Neil Jacobs said in a statement. “We look forward to partnering with the councils to advance seafood competitiveness and support our American fishermen.”

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

NOAA Fisheries Administrator Issues Statement on Reducing Burdens on Domestic Fishing and Increasing Production

July 2, 2026 — NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator Eugenio Piñeiro Soler today issued a statement outlining the agency’s priorities for reducing regulatory burdens on domestic fishermen and increasing U.S. seafood production. The statement was released in response to President Trump’s Executive Order on Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness and followed input from 787 individuals and organizations, along with action plans submitted by regional fishery management councils. Piñeiro Soler said NOAA Fisheries is prioritizing actions intended to reduce burdens on domestic fishing, increase production, stabilize markets, improve access, and enhance the profitability of U.S. fishing businesses.

The statement includes highlights by region, with priority actions identified for New England, the Mid-Atlantic, the South Atlantic, the Caribbean, the Gulf of America, the Pacific, the North Pacific, the Western Pacific, and Highly Migratory Species. In New England, priorities include implementing rotational access for the Northern Edge scallop fishery, implementing scallop permit stacking, rescinding industry-funded monitoring requirements, deprioritizing ropeless-gear requirements, evaluating vessel baseline restrictions with the Mid-Atlantic Council, and considering reopening the Great South Channel habitat management area to surf clam operations.

In the Mid-Atlantic, NOAA Fisheries said it will evaluate vessel baseline restrictions with the New England Council, consider joint council management for squid, mackerel, and butterfish, and deprioritize ropeless-gear requirements. South Atlantic priorities include revising Snapper Grouper permit policies, supporting state agency-led exempted fishing permits for red snapper, and addressing shark and dolphin depredation. For the Caribbean, NOAA identified actions involving territorial management of spiny lobster and queen conch, accountability measures for pelagic stocks and spiny lobster, review of certain marine protected areas, and state-federal regulatory compatibility.

In the Gulf of America, the agency identified refinements to Individual Fishing Quota participation requirements and rulemaking to extend provisions of the DESCEND Act. Pacific priorities include reconsidering redundant shoreside catch monitors and revising Pacific sardine stock definitions. In the North Pacific, NOAA identified review of Steller sea lion closure boundaries, elimination of the 2 percent IFQ deduction for bled sablefish, and rulemaking related to small sablefish voluntary release and maximum retainable amount calculations. Western Pacific priorities include changes to longline turtle measures and swordfish retention limits. For Highly Migratory Species, NOAA said it will review weak hook requirements in the Gulf and retention rules for dead bluefin tuna under 73 inches, and reconsider upgrading restrictions for swordfish handgear limited access permits.

The full statement is reproduced below:

I have served in my role as assistant administrator of NOAA Fisheries for just over a year. In that time, I have prioritized meeting with members and leadership of each regional fishery management council and participating in as many council meetings as possible. I have done so because I truly believe in our democratic council process and have tremendous respect for the work they do and the expertise they bring to it. I learn something from each meeting I join and each constituent I speak with, but there is a common thread: Fishermen just want to fish, and they are asking for our support in overcoming the barriers preventing them from doing so.

The United States is a global leader in sustainable fisheries management. Our participatory, science-based system under 50 years of the Magnuson-Stevens Act has shown that we know how to rebuild stocks and keep them healthy. But despite this foundation, our seafood sector has faced growing pressure from global competition and evolving market demands. Americans want American seafood, but our landings have decreased since 2019. We need to put U.S. seafood first.

In fisheries, as in life, results are what matter. That is why I am eager to share the regulatory actions we have prioritized in response to the President’s Executive Order on Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness. We received input from 787 individuals and organizations, as well as detailed action plans from each of the regional fishery management councils. I believe this volume of input underscores the urgency of our shared mission and I am grateful to everyone who contributed.

After considering all input from councils, fishing industry, and the public, we have prioritized actions—many of which align with Council identified priorities—we believe will reduce burdens on domestic fishing, increase production, stabilize markets, improve access, and enhance economic profitability. 


Highlights by Region


New England

  • Implement rotational access for the Northern Edge scallop fishery
  • Implement Scallop Permit Stacking
  • Rescind Industry Funded Monitoring requirements
  • Deprioritize advancing requirements for ropeless gear
  • Evaluate vessel baseline restrictions (in conjunction with the Mid-Atlantic Council)
  • Consider reopening the Great South Channel habitat management area to surfclam operations

Mid-Atlantic

  • Evaluate vessel baseline restrictions (in conjunction with the New England Council)
  • Consider joint council management for squid, mackerel, and butterfish
  • Deprioritize advancing requirements for ropeless gear

South Atlantic

  • Revise Snapper Grouper (SG1) permit policies (Amendment 60) 
  • Support state agency-led exempted fishing permits for red snapper
  • Address shark and dolphin depredation

Caribbean

  • Shift spiny lobster and queen conch to territorial management
  • Revise accountability measures for pelagic stocks and spiny lobster
  • Review effectiveness of marine protected areas (e.g., Tourmaline Bank, Abrir La Sierra)
  • State-federal regulatory compatibility review

Gulf of America

  • Refine Individual Fishing Quota (IFQ) participation requirements (Amendments 59A/59B)
  • Prioritize rulemaking to extend provisions of the DESCEND Act

Pacific

  • Reconsider redundant shoreside catch monitors
  • Revise Pacific sardine stock definitions

North Pacific

  • Review Steller sea lion closure boundaries
  • Eliminate 2 percent IFQ deduction for bled sablefish 
  • Prioritize rulemaking for small sablefish voluntary release and maximum retainable amount calculations

Western Pacific

  • Remove shallow-set longline leatherback hard cap and strike two turtle trip limit
  • Remove swordfish retention limit in deep-set longline fishery
  • Remove American Samoa longline turtle mitigation measure 

Highly Migratory Species

  • Review weak hook requirements in the Gulf and retention of dead bluefin tuna less than 73 inches
  • Reconsider upgrading restrictions for swordfish handgear limited access permit

Identifying and implementing these actions are critical steps in our efforts to fulfill the President’s vision of making the United States the world’s dominant seafood leader. I am grateful for our partnership with the councils and for the thorough analysis provided by their members, advisors, and extensive stakeholder engagement. I urge them to further maximize our regulatory efficiency by systematically assessing current Fishery Management Plans, and considering the removal of species that no longer require conservation and management. As stated in the Seafood Executive Order, I strongly encourage the council to collaborate with NOAA Fisheries on the expanded and continued use of Exempted Fishing Permits as an agile management tool to test gear innovations, enhance value-added quality, explore additional fishing opportunities, and safely increase domestic production. In some instances, these priorities may implicate other statutory requirements. Where that applies, NOAA Fisheries will work with the councils to determine how best to advance an action.

Complementing these efforts, NOAA Fisheries is actively evaluating internal actions to support these reforms. As I have said at many of the council meetings I have attended, “I will be back, and I want to come back with good news.” These are the types of actions that will keep the industry moving, and that’s why I do this job: to make sure we do things better. I look forward to advancing these vital reforms together with our councils and all who want to propel our industry.

Eugenio Piñeiro Soler
Assistant Administrator, NOAA Fisheries

New Jersey fishermen challenge monitoring rule again

January 23, 2026 — Following their victory before the U.S. Supreme Court in 2024, commercial fishers from New Jersey are asking the U.S. Court of Appeals for the First Circuit to vacate a NOAA Fisheries rule requiring them to pay out of pocket for at-sea monitors.

“Forcing fishermen to pay the salaries of government regulators watching them conduct their work is backward,” New Civil Liberties Alliance (NCLA) Senior Litigation Counsel Kara Rollins said in a statement. “The regulation unlawfully places the government’s financial responsibilities onto the governed and without congressional authorization.”

The lawsuit centers on the Industry-Funded Monitoring (IFM) rule introduced by NOAA Fisheries in 2020. The rule requires commercial fishers in multiple fisheries – Atlantic herring, squid, butterfish, and Atlantic mackerel – to pay out of pocket for at-sea monitors to be present on their vessels and observe their operations.

The fishers claimed the requirement would be devastating to their business, with monitors reportedly costing more than $700 per day. According to the NCLA, that cost can eat up any profit the fishers made in a day, and over a multi-day trip, costs could become exorbitant.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource