Saving Seafood

House passes bill extending right whale regulatory pause

September 2, 2026 — The U.S. House of Representatives has passed H.R. 9436, legislation that would extend the current pause on new North Atlantic right whale regulations affecting the lobster and Jonah crab fisheries through 2035.

The Northeast Lobsterman Protection Act of 2026 passed the House on Sept. 1 by a 219-196 vote. The bill would extend the existing regulatory pause from its current expiration at the end of 2028 to Dec. 31, 2035.

The legislation has drawn support from Northeast commercial fishing organizations, which argue additional time is needed for ongoing research and technology development to inform future whale regulations. Conservation groups, meanwhile, say the extension would delay measures they believe are necessary to reduce the risk of serious injury and mortality to the critically endangered North Atlantic right whale.

The New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association (NEFSA), which urged lawmakers to pass the measure ahead of the House vote, welcomed its passage.

“The New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association strongly supports passage of H.R. 9436,” Jason Joyce, NEFSA’s director of advocacy, said in a statement provided to National Fisherman.

Read the full article at National Fisherman

House to take up bill extending right whale regulatory pause to 2035

August 31, 2026 — A bill that would extend the current pause on the new North Atlantic right whale regulations affecting the lobster and Jonah crab fisheries until 2035 is moving toward a vote in the U.S. House, with fishing industry groups renewing calls for lawmakers to pass the measure.

H.R. 9436, the Northeast Lobsterman Protection Act, would extend the existing regulator pause from its current 2028 expiration to 2035. The legislation was introduced by Rep. Mike Lawler, R-New York, and Rep. Jared Golden, D-Maine.

As National Fisherman reported in July, the House Natural Resources Committee advanced the bill in a bipartisan 22-13 vote on July 15. The committee has since formally reported the legislation, and it is moving toward consideration by the full House.

The New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association (NEFSA), one of several commercial fishing organizations supporting the extension, sent a letter to Congress ahead of the expected House consideration urging lawmakers to pass the bill.

“As H.R. 9436 comes before the full House, we respectfully ask you to support its passage and to help ensure that this bipartisan committee-supported legislation moves forward without delay,” NEFSA Vice President John Drouin wrote to Congress.

Read the full article at National Fisherman

August fundraiser to support New England fishing communities

July 22, 2026 — The New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association (NEFSA) will bring commercial fishermen, industry supporters, and coastal communities together next month for its fourth annual “Save Our Fisheries” Fundraiser at Cook’s Lobster & Ale House on Bailey Island, Maine.

The family-friendly event is scheduled for Saturday, Aug. 15, from 5:30 p.m. to 9:30 p.m. Organizers say proceeds will support NEFSA’s efforts to preserve New England’s commercial fishing heritage and protect working waterfronts as the industry continues to navigate regulatory and economic challenges.

Read the full story at National Fisherman

New regulations to protect right whales may be paused until 2035

July 20, 2026 — A bill cosponsored by U.S. Rep. Jared Golden of Maine’s 2nd District that would further delay new protections for North American right whales has advanced out of Committee.

Golden has cited government layoffs and other slowdowns as reasons for extending a moratorium on new regulations from 2028 to 2035.

Golden said in remarks to the House Natural Resources Committee that the extended moratorium would provide time to collect more data, ensuring that Maine fisheries aren’t unfairly burdened. The Maine Department of Marine Resources and the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association wrote letters of support for the legislation.

“We need more time to make sure that any new measures we ask lobstermen to take will strike a very careful balance between protecting marine life and protecting the livelihoods of fishermen themselves,” Golden said at the committee hearing.

But Gib Brogan of ocean protection nonprofit Oceana said the science is clear.

“All of the available evidence shows that the protections that are in place right now are not enough to support the recovery of North Atlantic right whales.”

Read the full article at Maine Public

Fishermen advocate begins campaign against offshore wind, ‘industrializing’ of the ocean

June 8, 2026 — The New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association began a campaign to bring attention to what it says is a radical climate activism’s “industrializing” of the ocean through green energy agendas and the disastrous effect such objectives have on commercial fishermen’s livelihoods.

President of the fishermen advocacy Aaron Williams told The Center Square that his organization’s campaign “is intended to bring attention to the growing concerns many commercial fishermen, seafood producers, and coastal communities have regarding the rapid expansion of offshore wind development in productive fishing grounds.”

Read the full article at the Center Square

Fishing safety trainings offered

April 15, 2026 — This spring, the Fishing Partnership Support Services team has teamed up with local partners Maine Lobstermen’s Association, Green and White Hope, New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association, Maine Coast Fishermen’s Association and Sunrise Economic Council to bring its free safety programming to Maine fishermen. The team will be holding Safety and Drill Conductor training in May at the following locations:

May 18-19, Eastport Port Authority, 141 Water Street, Eastport

May 21-22, USCG Station Southwest Harbor, 184 Clarke Point Road, Southwest Harbor

Trainings are designed specifically for commercial fishermen and lobstermen, including captains and crewmen, and are also helpful for family members, including children, who may join trips. Each day of training provides hands-on opportunities to learn or hone fundamental skills to fish more safely.

Read the full article at The Ellesworth America

American seafood is national security — and Washington is failing fishermen

February 10, 2026 — I have spent my life working on the water as a commercial fisherman. Today, I serve as the chairman and chief strategist of the New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association, (NEFSA) representing fishermen who fish the waters of the North Atlantic and the New York Bight, along with their families, business and industry associations and members of the public who support wild-caught American seafood. I speak for people who work these waters every day and for communities that depend on them.

We see ocean conditions as they exist, not months later in reports. Yet policy too often prioritizes theory over experience and paperwork over outcomes. Commercial fishermen are not line items. We live with the consequences of every decision made in Washington. On the water, those decisions can make fishing less safe, manage fish poorly and drive American commercial fishermen out of business.

AMERICAN SEAFOOD IS AMERICAN FOOD SECURITY

n 2026, it is time to clearly recognize that U.S. wild-caught seafood is U.S. food security. America controls one of the largest and most productive ocean food resources in the world, and commercial fishermen make it possible to feed this country under some of the highest standards anywhere.

At the same time, we are forced to compete against cheap imported seafood flooding U.S. markets and undercutting American harvesters. Much of this product comes from overseas operations with weak or nonexistent environmental and labor standards, yet it is marketed as fresh or sustainable. Meanwhile, American fishermen following the rules are slowly being pushed out.

American farmers know this problem well. Domestic food producers who follow strict regulations are routinely undercut by imports that do not. Commercial fishermen, like farmers, are a pillar of national resilience. Any new food policy must rebuild and protect domestic seafood production, so American fishermen can feed American consumers under American standards.

Read the full article at Fox News

NEFSA names Bonnie Brady policy director, Jason Joyce advocacy lead

February 4, 2026 — The New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association (NEFSA) has announced two new leadership appointments aimed at strengthening its policy and advocacy work on behalf of fishermen and coastal communities.

Bonnie Brady has been named NEFSA’s new policy director, while Capt. Jason Joyce will serve as director of advocacy. According to NEFSA, both appointments bring decades of hands-on industry experience and advocacy leadership at a time when fishermen are navigating complex regulatory, environmental, and offshore wind development challenges.

Read the full article at National Fisherman

New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association welcomes new policy and advocacy leaders

January 20, 2026 — The New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association (NEFSA) has announced the appointment of Jason Joyce as Director of Advocacy, and Bonnie Brady as Policy Director, two key leadership roles that will strengthen NEFSA’s efforts to support fishermen and coastal communities, according to NEFSA, in a news release.

“Bonnie and Jason bring decades of experience advocating for fishermen and the communities they serve,” said NEFSA. “Their leadership will be instrumental in shaping NEFSA’s approach to critical issues facing the fishing industry – from sustainable practices and regulations to the impacts of offshore wind development – ensuring that the voices of fishermen remain at the center of any policy decisions.”

Read the full article at Penobscot Bay Pilot

Trump freezes East Coast offshore wind projects – again

January 5, 2026 — U.S. President Donald Trump has again frozen development on offshore wind projects on the East Coast, just weeks after a federal judge ruled that his initial attempt to pause development was “arbitrary and capricious.”

“President Trump is prioritizing American fishermen, working waterfronts, and the United States’ national security by pausing offshore wind projects,” New England Fishermen’s Stewardship Association (NEFSA) Chairman and Chief Strategist Dustin Delano said in response. “These unreliable energy sources are an economic, ecological, and national security threat. Safeguarding the United States includes responsible ocean management, and as stewards of the sea, we’re thankful for this decision to halt offshore wind projects.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource