Saving Seafood

Biden signs Coastal Habitat Conservation Act

December 13, 2024 — U.S. President Joe Biden has signed the Coastal Habitat Conservation Act, which codifies the U.S. Fish and Wildlife Service’s (USFWS) Coastal Program and provides funding to protect, enhance, and restore priority habitats along the nation’s coasts.

“Coastal ecosystems are an integral part of our nation’s economy and well-being, but climate change, pollution, and unsustainable development are rapidly deteriorating these critical resources,” U.S. Representative Jared Huffman (D-California) said of the bill when he introduced it more than a year and a half ago. “This collaborative bill is a bipartisan solution to preserve the health and resilience of coastal habitats, benefiting the wildlife, communities, and economies that depend on them.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

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

 

American Samoa legislators voice concern over proposal to expand Marine Sanctuary

December 4, 2024 — American Samoa’s Senate President and Speaker of the House wrote in late November on behalf of the Legislature to express to President Joseph R. Biden their concern and opposition to the proposed expansion of the National Marine Sanctuary within the Pacific Remote Islands.

“As you consider potential actions during the concluding months of your administration, we urge you to resist all proposals to create or expand any Marine National Monument within the U.S. Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) in the Western Pacific,” they wrote.

They believe that as ocean ecosystems face increasingly rapid changes, the U.S. fisheries management system — particularly through the oversight of the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council — provides a stronger and more enduring framework for sustainable, science-based conservation measures than does the Antiquities Act.

“The Council has effectively managed these natural resources for our region, balancing ecological priorities with the economic needs of the local communities that depend on fishing for survival.”

Read the full story at Samoa News

Biden-Harris Administration, NOAA makes $99 million available for Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund

December 4, 2024 — Today, the Department of Commerce and NOAA Fisheries announced up to $99 million in funding through the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF) for conservation and recovery projects focusing on Pacific salmon and steelhead. This funding — which includes $34.4 million from the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law (BIL) — will advance state and tribal efforts to restore salmon populations and habitats, and bolster climate and economic resilience in surrounding communities.

“Since day one, the Biden-Harris Administration has been committed to salmon recovery along the West Coast and this new funding will help NOAA boost efforts to aid Pacific salmon survival and recovery,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “This investment, made possible thanks to President Biden’s commitment to investing in America, will help get Pacific salmon populations closer to the healthy and abundant levels our West Coast ecosystems and communities need, and help create new jobs that enhance climate resilience along our coasts.”

Read the full story at NOAA Fisheries

Biden announces USD 148 million for climate-ready fisheries

December 3, 2024 — The administration of U.S. President Joe Biden has dedicated USD 148 million (EUR 141 million) to improving NOAA’s data collection and analysis to support “climate-ready fisheries.”

The money will be used to modernize the agency’s science enterprise, providing the tools and information necessary to help the nation’s fisheries adapt to rapidly changing marine ecosystems.

Read the full story at SeafoodSource

 

Fishermen celebrate Trump: ‘Government has crucified this industry’

November 8, 2024 — Fishermen on the New Bedford waterfront met the news of a second Trump term with vengeful enthusiasm on Wednesday morning. There was hope that the president-elect would scale back regulation, stop offshore wind development and open new fishing grounds — breaking the slump of declining revenues and ushering in a period of relative prosperity for the industry.

Donald Trump gained significant support throughout the South Coast in the 2024 election, narrowing the margin of his 2020 loss to President Joe Biden in the region. Trump didn’t win New Bedford, where Vice President Kamala Harris held a margin of 2,688 votes. But the city’s fishermen have dug in with their support for President-elect Trump.

Read the full article at the New Bedford Light

No immediate disruptions reported from port strike as trade unions pressure Biden to take action

October 3, 2024 — The International Longshoreman’s Association East and Gulf Coast port strike has entered its third day, and while the rhetoric is heating up, there have been few supply chain disruptions reported so far. 

Despite few disruptions pressure is mounting from trade groups for President Biden to use his legal powers to end the strike, especially since the damage from Hurricane Helene has left North Carolina in need of aid supplies. 

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Biden announces USD 9 million for North Atlantic right whale recovery

August 15, 2024 — U.S. President Joe Biden has announced USD 9 million (EUR 8.2 million) in funding for partnerships aimed at conserving North Atlantic right whales.

“North Atlantic right whales are approaching extinction with approximately 360 individuals remaining, including fewer than 70 reproductively active females,” NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator Janet Coit said. “It’s imperative we advance our collective actions to help recover this species, and these partnerships will help the science and conservation community do just that.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Biden-Harris Administration announces more than $105 million for West Coast and Alaska salmon

August 2, 2024 — The following was released by NOAA:

Today, the Department of Commerce and NOAA announced more than $105 million in recommended funding for 14 new and continuing salmon recovery projects and programs. Located along the West Coast and in Alaska, these state and tribal efforts will be funded through the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund (PCSRF). The funds include Fiscal Year 2024 annual appropriations as well as $34.4 million under the Bipartisan Infrastructure Law and $7.5 million under the Inflation Reduction Act, and will aid programs and projects in Alaska, California, Idaho, Oregon and Washington that include habitat restoration, stock enhancement, sustainable fisheries and research and monitoring.

“This $105 million investment, made possible thanks to the Biden-Harris Administration’s Investing in America agenda, will build on decades of salmon recovery work, while helping Pacific coast Tribes and Alaska Natives sustain their communities and cultural traditions in the face of climate change,” said U.S. Secretary of Commerce Gina Raimondo. “This is a result of the most ambitious climate agenda in history, and I am proud that nearly half of all funds in this announcement are being awarded to Tribal applicants.”

These investments will supplement state and tribal programs that provide demonstrable and measurable benefits to Pacific salmon and their habitat. They will aid in the recovery of 28 Endangered Species Act (ESA)-listed salmon and steelhead species, as well as non-listed ESA salmon and steelhead that are necessary for native subsistence or tribal treaty fishing rights, and for those in the Columbia River Basin, these efforts will help meet the President’s goal of restoring healthy and abundant salmon, steelhead and other native fish in the Basin.

“The PCSRF program has benefited fish populations and their habitats in so many ways,” said Janet Coit, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “The value of these investments goes far beyond recovering Pacific salmon and steelhead and their habitats, to also provide community and economic benefits, such as jobs and climate resilience.”

Read the full release at NOAA

Offshore wind is providing little competition to oil and gas production so far

June 17, 2024 — President Joe Biden wants the U.S. offshore wind industry to be producing 30 gigawatts of electrical power by 2030 — enough, the administration says, to power 10 million homes. That would be the equivalent of about 16,920 bbls. of petroleum per hour or 384,000 bbls. of oil per day.

By comparison, the Energy Information Administration (EIA) says the U.S. consumes approximately 20 million bbls. of petroleum, including oil and natural gas, per day.

Read the full article at WorkBoat