Saving Seafood

Report: Trump backs off ending ocean monitoring after Murkowski co-leads block of plan in Senate

June 19, 2026 — The Trump administration’s dismantling of an ocean monitoring system used for purposes such as ecosystem and climate monitoring has been put on hold after the U.S. Senate in a bipartisan vote Wednesday passed a measure blocking the plan, according to published reports.

The National Science Foundation is expected to announce Thursday it will pause efforts to take apart the $368 million Ocean Observatories Initiative while convening an expert panel to determine its future, according to The New York Times, citing a review of documents obtained by the newspaper.
The NSA stated in May it planned to remove instruments from waters off Alaska, Washington state, Oregon, North Carolina and Greenland during the coming year, with the first occurring this week in Oregon.

Deep sea observation system that tracks climate change saved from disassembly

June 19, 2026 — A critical deep ocean observation network that includes a long-standing station off the coast of Alaska has been saved from getting dismantled. As first reported by the New York Times, the Trump administration dropped its plan to get rid of the ocean and climate tracking system after the U.S. Senate unanimously blocked the move this week.

Alaska Sen. Lisa Murkowski and Oregon Sen. Jeff Merkley sponsored the measure, which prohibits the National Science Foundation from spending federal money to remove the equipment anchored off the coast of Alaska, Washington, Oregon, North Carolina and in an area called the Irminger Sea between Iceland and Greenland.

On the Senate floor Wednesday, Murkowski said the Ocean Observatories Initiative collects hard-to-access information that’s critical for understanding warming seas.

“This is all happening at a time when everybody’s talking about El Niño, and what that is going to bring in terms of the potential for extreme weather events,” Murkowski said. “This is not the time to be turning off one of our most valuable scientific assets.”

Read the full article at KTOO

ALASKA: Murkowski and Sullivan Welcome Funding for Fisheries

June 19, 2026 — The following was released by the Office of U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski:

Today, U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (R-AK) welcomed the announcement of roughly $99 million in funding allocated for Alaska fishery disasters from the U.S. Department of Commerce. This is a step toward funding for three Alaska fisheries that experienced disasters from 2022-2024. NOAA Fisheries will now work with the State of Alaska and Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission to develop a spend plan.

“Our fishing industry is part of the beating heart of coastal Alaska, but seemingly every fishery over the last decade has been hit hard by disasters beyond their control,” said Senator Murkowski. “This is one step in the process, but one step closer to ensuring fishermen, their crews, seafood processors, and communities impacted by these fishery disasters receive the funding they need. I sincerely appreciate Secretary Lutnick and those at the Department of Commerce for their commitment to helping our fishermen.”

“Alaska’s subsistence harvesters, commercial fishermen, and fishing communities have endured a series of fishery disasters and stock collapses beyond their control, threatening livelihoods and entire coastal economies,” Senator Sullivan said. “I have been pushing to resolve these disaster declarations and get this relief into the hands of Alaskans who need it. This nearly $100 million allocation—roughly 80 percent of the funding announced today—will provide critical support to those affected by the Bering Sea snow crab, Chignik salmon, and Upper Cook Inlet East Side Setnet salmon disasters. I want to thank Secretary Lutnick and the Department of Commerce for recognizing the extraordinary scale of the challenges facing Alaska’s fisheries and working with us to ensure Alaska’s fishermen receive the timely support they need.”

ALASKA: Alaska’s Murkowski among Congress members seeking to save ocean science network

June 16, 2026 — Sen. Lisa Murkowski, R-Alaska, is among several members of Congress trying to prevent the National Science Foundation from dismantling portions of an instrument system that monitors the nation’s oceans.

The National Science Foundation plans to pull out much of the instrumentation in the Ocean Observatories Initiative system, which began operating in 2016 and was intended to last for three decades.

Read the full article at the Alaska Beacon

ALASKA: Alaskan officials renew calls for better transboundary salmon protections

April 29, 2026 — Officials in the U.S. state of Alaska are again asking for better protections for salmon in the state’s transboundary rivers.

Data compiled by the Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) shows that salmon traveling from Canada into Southeast Alaska yield harvests of millions of salmon, valued at over USD 225 million (EUR 192.6 million) and making up roughly one-third of all North Pacific salmon runs.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

King, Murkowski Introduce Legislation to Strengthen American Fisheries

March 30, 2026 — The following was released by the Office of U.S. Senator Angus King:

U.S. Senators Angus King (I-ME) and Lisa Murkowski (R-AK) have introduced legislation to strengthen the American seafood industry by treating it the same as the nation’s farmlands. The American Seafood Competitiveness Act would expand access to U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) loan and grant programs for commercial fishermen, seafood processors, and mariculture-related businesses. The legislation would also expand Farm Credit eligibility to businesses providing services to fisherman and fish processors.

“Whether your crops have seeds or scales, America’s food producers are essential to our economy and food supply, so we should seek economic parity for the men and women who work in the seafood industry,” said Senator King. “The American Seafood Competitiveness Act would help level the playing field and ensure our lobstermen and shellfish growers have access to the resources they need to grow and compete. That way, we can ensure the ‘Way Life Should Be’ for generations to come.”

“In Alaska, agriculture isn’t just cattle and livestock in Delta Junction or carrot farms in Palmer—it also includes kelp farms in Douglas, oyster operations on Prince of Wales Island, and gillnetters in Bristol Bay harvesting our world-class salmon,” said Senator Murkowski. “These uniquely Alaska enterprises have been left out of some of America’s agricultural landscape, yet they play a vital role in our food security across the state. It’s past time our fishing and mariculture industries can access the same financing opportunities as farmers in the heartland.”

More specifically the American Seafood Competitiveness Act would:

  • Amend the Consolidated Farm and Rural Development Act to include commercial fishing and fish processing as eligible agricultural activities under USDA programs.
  • Include wild-caught fish and shellfish as eligible agricultural products under USDA’s Local Agricultural Market Program and allow USDA to waive or reduce matching fund requirements, lowering barriers for small and rural operators.
  • Update USDA regulations to ensure seafood processors can access financing to acquire or upgrade processing facilities and address significant operating costs.
  • Expand eligibility for USDA farm ownership and operating loans to allow fishermen to purchase permits, acquire vessels, make capital improvements, and cover operating and maintenance costs.
  • Broaden Farm Credit eligibility to businesses that support fishermen and fish processors, providing access to lending from Farm Credit institutions similar to that available to farm-related businesses.
  • Create additional financing options for coastal businesses and rural communities that rely on the seafood economy, in the same manner as those supported by traditional agriculture.

The American Seafood Competitiveness Act would recognize the seafood industry’s role as “farmers of the sea” by ensuring they have the same opportunities as traditional farmers.

Senator King is a longtime supporter of Maine’s lobster and seafood industry and has worked to ensure Maine fishermen have the same access to federal support as traditional farmers. Last year, he led the Fishing Industry Credit Enhancement Act (FICA) which would allow businesses that provide direct assistance to fishing operations—like gear producers or cold storage—to access loans from the Farm Credit System (FCS) that are already offered to service providers for farmers, ranchers and loggers. The American Seafood Competitiveness Act includes the assistance programs from FICA in addition to the other proposed programs that extend economic aid to fish and seafood businesses.

US bill would give commercial fishers access to USDA programs

March 30, 2026 — Two U.S. senators have introduced legislation designed to ensure commercial fishers and processors can access U.S. Department of Agriculture (USDA) programs, grants, and financial services.

“Whether your crops have seeds or scales, America’s food producers are essential to our economy and food supply, so we should seek economic parity for the men and women who work in the seafood industry,” U.S. Senator Angus King (I-Maine) said in a release. “The American Seafood Competitiveness Act would help level the playing field and ensure our lobstermen and shellfish growers have access to the resources they need to grow and compete. That way, we can ensure the ‘Way Life Should Be’ for generations to come.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

ALASKA: Feds mull first-ever seafloor mining in Alaskan waters

January 29, 2026 — The Trump administration is considering allowing deep-sea mining in the waters off the coast of Alaska, sparking concerns about the fate of world class fisheries and fragile ecosystems.

The Bureau of Ocean Energy and Management, or BOEM, will begin gauging interest in a competitive mineral lease sale on Alaska’s outer continental shelf when a notice is published in the Federal Register on Thursday. The agency, according to a map posted online, is looking at large swaths of the Bering Sea, including the Aleutian Islands.

BOEM’s acting Director Matt Giacona said in a statement that Alaska’s offshore “holds strategic potential for the minerals that drive American industry, defense and next-generation technologies,” and that the request for information is “a practical first step to gauge interest and identify areas where development could make sense for jobs, investment and national supply chains.”

Read the full article at E&E News

ALASKA: Alaska waterfronts see funding gains in 2026

January 23, 2026 — U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski (R-Alaska) says key fisheries, science, and coastal priorities for the state were protected in the Fiscal Year 2026 appropriation “minibus” bill as Congress works to avoid a Jan. 30 federal funding lapse.

The package combines the Commerce, Justice, Science, Energy and Water Development, and Interior and Environment bills, completing roughly half of the FY26 appropriations process. Murkowski said the legislation safeguarding funding is critical to the state’s economy, fisheries, and coastal communities.

“While tough choices were made, we protected the priorities that matter most to Alaskans: our fisheries, public safety, energy security, Arctic research, and coastal infrastructure,” Senator Murkowski said. “This is exactly why the regular order appropriations process matters—it allows us to come together and build a product through compromise that meets the needs of our people and communities.”

Read the full article at National Fisherman

ALASKA: Newly proposed federal legislation aims to curb Alaska bycatch

January 15, 2026 — Alaska’s congressional delegation introduced legislation Wednesday that aims to reduce bycatch in parts of southwest Alaska using better marine data, technology and gear.

The Bycatch Reduction and Research Act, introduced by U.S. Sens. Dan Sullivan, Lisa Murkowski and Rep. Nick Begich, would address research gaps in environmental data and improve monitoring of fisheries in the Bering Sea, Aleutian Islands and Gulf of Alaska.

It would also establish a fund for fishermen to purchase updated technology and trawl gear to limit seafloor contact and bycatch. That’s when harvesters accidentally catch species they’re not targeting.

The proposed legislation builds on recommendations from the federal Alaska Salmon Research Task Force, which concluded in 2024 and aimed to better understand how humans cause declines in fish and crab species, including through factors like bycatch.

Read the full article at Alaska Public Media