Saving Seafood

Congressional investment in science essential to protect our ocean

March 4, 2026 — Deborah Bronk is the president and CEO of the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in East Boothbay. Glenn Prickett is president and CEO of the Gulf of Maine Research Institute in Portland. Other organizations in the MOVE coalition include Hurricane Island Center for Science and Leadership, Maine Aquaculture Association, Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association, Maine Coast Heritage Trust, Island Institute, Herring Gut Coastal Science Center, and The Ocean Foundation.

Federal science funding affects Maine in concrete ways. It supports conservation of valuable ecosystems in Wells, aids ground fishermen in Portland in managing stocks, helps an aquaculture farm in Brunswick reduce noise and air pollution, and gives towns like Machias the information they need to plan for storms and flooding. Those activities — and countless others like them — support jobs, local businesses, and economic stability across the state.

In Maine, science funding is closely tied to industries that depend on the marine environment. Fisheries, aquaculture, marine technology, tourism, recreation, and coastal planning all rely on consistent, authoritative data, applied research, and a skilled workforce. These are the same blue economy sectors Maine has identified as key to long-term growth, and, together, they are helping build a strong ocean-based economy while supporting education, workforce development, and planning needs that benefit the whole state.

Read the full article at Bangor Daily News

MAINE: UMaine taps into satellite data to help oyster farmers

March 4, 2026 — The University of Maine is rolling out a free satellite-driven model to help oyster farmers predict when their crop will reach market size, bringing high-tech precision to the hunt for the best tidal sites along the state’s coast.

Using satellite data from NASA, the U.S. Geological Survey and the European Space Agency, the model is the foundation of a January research study in the journal Aquaculture. The accuracy was verified by testing it against oyster growth rates at five Maine oyster farms.

The online dashboard is coming out at a time when Maine’s oyster sector is booming.

Between 2015 and 2024, the value of Maine’s wild and farmed oysters jumped from $4.5 million to $14.9 million, according to the Maine Department of Marine Resources. According to the department’s most recent landings data, oysters are now Maine’s third-most valuable fishery, behind lobsters and soft-shell clams. Ninety-five percent of those landings are farmed oysters; wild oysters make up the rest.

Read the full article at Portland Press Herald

Stop-fishing notices spread as haddock delay drags on

March 4, 2026 — It has been almost a week since six New England groundfish sector managers formally petitioned the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) for relief on Framework 69, and, from the industry’s perspective, nothing has changed.

In a Feb. 27 letter addressed to Michael Pentony, regional administrator for NOAA’s Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office, the managers called the delay in approving Framework 69 “frankly ridiculous,” noting that there are only nine weeks (now eight weeks) left in the fishing year and that vessels are already being forced to stop fishing in the Gulf of Maine.

“We the undersigned Northeast groundfish sector managers petition for relief from the frankly ridiculous delay in what should have been a belated but routine approval of groundfish Framework 69,” the letter states.

Framework 69, approved by the New England Fishery Management Council in December 2024 and submitted to NMFS in March 2025, would increase the Gulf of Maine haddock quota by roughly 50 percent over the prior fishing year. But with the action still awaiting final signoff in Washington, D.C., that additional quota remains inaccessible on the water.

In the meantime, sector managers say they are running out of options.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Fishermen cast federal limits as untenable before First Circuit

March 3, 2026 — The federal government had no right to impose severe limits on how much haddock New England fishermen can catch, a fishermen’s group told the First Circuit Monday, but the judges seemed uncertain, peppering both sides with sharp questions over constitutional authority.

The New England Fishery Management Council, created by Congress in the 1970s to oversee commercial fishing operations, infuriated local fishermen in 2023 by slashing haddock catch limits by more than 80% while placing additional restrictions on hake and cod.

A fishermen’s group sued, claiming the council was unconstitutional because it wasn’t subject to executive branch control as required by the appointments clause. Although council members exercise federal authority, they’re selected by state officials, not federal officials, and most can be removed only by a two-thirds vote of fellow members.

A federal judge in Maine agreed the council was unconstitutional, but he tried to remedy the problem by rewriting the law to limit the members’ powers, which would make them employees rather than federal officers. And he left the catch limits in place — finding that while the limits harmed fishermen’s livelihoods, they didn’t amount to “significant” federal action.

At oral argument, the judges struggled to determine whether the council members were officers who exercised significant federal authority and whether that meant the haddock rule must be struck down.

Read the full article at Courthouse News Service

MAINE: Great Northern Salmon announces multiple strategic partnerships for Maine-based salmon RAS

March 3, 2026 — Great Northern Salmon announced multiple strategic partnerships with companies as it continues to work on its Millinocket, Maine, U.S.A-based salmon recirculating aquaculture system (RAS) facility.

Great Northern Salmon (GNS), formerly known as Katahdin Salmon, had already announced a strategic partnership with Eyvi, a provider of aquaculture systems. Now, the company said it has established partnerships with other aquaculture technology providers, engineering and construction companies, and potential buyers for its product once it gets its facility online.’

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

MAINE: A seasonal check-in for Maine’s lobster industry

March 2, 2026 — In this edition of Marketplace’s Economic Pulse, we take a look at Maine’s lobster industry, where fisheries play a central role in the state’s economy. In 2024, Maine’s commercial fisheries brought in roughly $700 million in value, with lobster making up the largest share of that total.

Marketplace’s David Brancaccio spoke with Sonny Beal, a lobsterman and member of the board of directors at the Maine Lobstermen’s Association, about the state of the industry. The following is an edited transcript of their conversation.

David Brancaccio: I guess it’s like actors who never say the name of the Scottish Shakespeare play, because bad things will then happen. What is it that lobster folks stay away from the precise number of how their catch was?

Sonny Beal: We’re usually pretty secretive on what we catch, because if somebody finds out that you’re doing good, they might move in on your territory and stuff. So we try to keep it kind of hush-hush.

Brancaccio: Yeah. And as it refers to your business, what’s the vibe?

Beal: The catch was down a little bit this season. It was down about 30% statewide. We can’t have record years every year, so, you know, we kind of just take it for what it is. The price is down a little bit from last year, but last year was a record price. So we’re still chugging along. And we have good years and bad years, and we take it as it goes.

Read the full article at the Marketplace

Northeast Aquaculture Conference Celebrates Innovation, Growth, and Community

February 26, 2026 — The snow and cold temperatures in Portland, Maine, were no match for the energy of nearly 700 people who gathered this year for the joint 26th Northeast Aquaculture Conference and Expo and 45th Milford Aquaculture Seminar. With its record-breaking turnout, the conference highlighted the Northeast’s growing aquaculture sector. In Maine alone, aquaculture has nearly tripled in economic impact since 2007. The meeting was co-hosted by the Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center and NOAA Fisheries Milford Lab from January 7–9, 2026.

Attendees learned from more than 100 presenters during 45 sessions over 3 days. Science presentations covered the latest research on shellfish, seaweed, sea urchin, and finfish aquaculture. A record 38 aquaculture vendors demonstrated the latest innovations in aquaculture gear technology during the largest-ever trade show. In addition, 78 students received support to attend and present their work. The meeting brought industry leaders, scientific researchers, resource managers, extension specialists and students into the same room to discuss the future of sustainable farmed seafood production in the Northeast.

The conference kicked off with a welcome address by Danielle Blacklock, director of the NOAA Office of Aquaculture. She highlighted the growing tailwinds toward expanding U.S. aquaculture production. This was followed by updates from U.S. states and Canadian provinces from Prince Edward Island, Canada, to Virginia. The Maine Aquaculture Association then presented Dr. Chris Davis, Maine Aquaculture Innovation Center’s Innovator-in-Residence and co-founder of the meeting, with its inaugural lifetime achievement award.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

Gulf of Maine haddock quota stalled as boats near tying up

February 23, 2026 — For commercial fishermen in the Gulf of Maine, spring typically means fresh haddock.

It’s the time of year when the fish show up thick, boats can finally make steady trips, and crews start to see paychecks that carry them through the lean months. But this year, instead of chasing the fish, Gulf of Maine (GOM) groundfishermen are waiting and watching their quota meters hit zero.

Framework 69, the regulatory vehicle that would increase the GOM haddock quota by 50 percent due to assessments of the stock, is stuck in federal review at NOAA’s level, despite being approved by the New England Fishery Management Council and signed on Dec. 4, 2024.

In the meantime, boats are nearing the limit of haddock they’re legally allowed to land.

“We were, for instance, four weeks ago, on track at the current quota level to be out of Gulf of Maine haddock quota right around the end of this year,” said Hank Soule, manager of the Sustainable Harvest Sector. New England sectors are self-managed groups of commercial fishing vessels holding limited access permits for Northeast multispecies (groundfish), including haddock.

“Right now, we’re on track to run out of Gulf of Maine haddock quota by late March,” said Soule. For groundfishing, that means a year reset on May 1, which is beyond devastating to fishermen.

Read the full article at National Fisherman

MAINE: Maine’s aquaculture industry highlighted in new campaign for public education

February 20, 2026 — The Maine Farmed Seafood Coalition (MFSC), a Maine-based community program for sustainability, recently launched a campaign called “Maine Farmers Are Why,” intended to educate the public about Maine aquaculture in light of recent sea farming disputes across the state’s coastal regions.

“The campaign puts sea farmers at the front of the conversation and tells the stories of innovators who make a diversified living on the coast of Maine,” MFSC said in a release.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

MAINE: What warming waters could mean for Maine’s fishing economy

February 10, 2026 — Fishing is a major part of Maine’s economy, with commercial fisheries generating about $709 million in 2024, according to state data. But what happens when a warming climate begins to collide with business?

Scientists consider the Gulf of Maine to be one of the fastest-warming ocean regions in the world — and changing conditions have already reshaped parts of the industry.

In Maine, warming waters have contributed to long-term declines in northern shrimp populations. Shrimp fisheries in the Gulf of Maine have been closed for more than a decade, after regulators imposed a moratorium on shrimping — a ban that has now been extended until 2028.

And it’s not just shrimp.

Graham Sherwood, a senior scientist at the Gulf of Maine Research Institute, says warming waters could begin to affect Maine’s billion-dollar lobster industry, even as the fishery remains strong today.

Marketplace’s Sabri Ben-Achour spoke with Sherwood. The following is an edited transcript of their conversation.

Read the full article at Marketplace