Saving Seafood

Rutgers Cooperative Extension to Host Introductory Fisheries Science for Stakeholders (IFISSH) Course

January 6, 2026 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

Rutgers Cooperative Extension is offering an introductory fisheries science course for stakeholders of New Jersey’s marine fisheries. The 2026 Introductory Fisheries Science for Stakeholders (IFISSH) course is open to everyone who is interested in New Jersey’s marine fisheries. The course’s objective is to educate stakeholders of New Jersey’s commercial and recreational fisheries so that they will better understand and make progress on issues impacting these industries, including the science, management, and responsible stewardship of fishery resources. Visit the IFISSH web page or download the course flyer for additional details.

Ten classes will meet via Zoom webinar on Tuesday evenings (6:30 – 9:00 PM) from February 3 through April 7. Visit this link to register and submit program fee payment ($40/person) by January 30, 2026.

If you have any questions, please contact Dr. Douglas Zemeckis (zemeckis@njaes.rutgers.edu, 732-349-1152) or Dina Baudo (dbaudo@co.ocean.nj.us, 732-349-1152).

Trump team pauses wind projects, including one off Jersey Shore

December 23, 2025 — The Trump administration announced a pause on five offshore wind farms, including one off the coasts of New Jersey and New York, citing national security concerns.

Secretary of the Interior Doug Burgum announced on Dec. 22 that the pause would affect New York’s Empire Wind 1 power project, which will be about 19 miles offshore of Long Branch once complete. The pause also affects Vineyard Wind 1 off Massachusetts, Revolution Wind off Rhode Island and Connecticut, Coastal Virginia Offshore Wind and Sunrise Wind southeast of Long Island.

The rotation of wind turbines and their reflective towers create radar interference called “clutter,” according to the Department of Interior. That interference obscures the radar detection of moving objects and creates the appearance of false objects near the wind farms, according to the department.

The pause will give wind farm developers and state and federal authorities time to address the projects’ risks to national security, Burgum said in a news release.

Read the full article at Asbury Park Press

NEW YORK: Operation Riptide: Highly Migratory Species Enforcement Levels the Playing Field for Law-Abiding Fishermen

December 18, 2025 — NOAA Fisheries’ Office of Law Enforcement led “Operation Riptide,” a 2-day multi-state operation targeting highly migratory species enforcement in July 2025. Agents and officers from NOAA, New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection, and New York Department of Environmental Conservation worked together to help protect marine life and law-abiding U.S. fishermen. We conducted this operation to help improve compliance with highly migratory species regulations in the state and federal waters off of New York and New Jersey.

Each day of the operation began with virtual briefings before participating agents and officers hit the water. These briefings provided crucial information on historic fishing patterns to help them effectively assess potential violations. They included details such as:

  • Target species at that time of year
  • Up-to-date weather and tide information
  • Real-time species-specific migration and population density information in the operation area

Collectively, we conducted patrols covering the majority of navigable coastal inlets between Cape May, New Jersey to Montauk, New York. Eight NOAA Fisheries agents and officers participated in the operation along with several officers from New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection and New York Department of Environmental Conservation.

Our mobilization of state-owned patrol vessels was key to the operation’s success. A total of nine patrol vessels participated in the operation; five from the New York Department of Environmental Conservation and four from the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection. Participating agents and officers conducted a total of 87 boardings during the operation:

  • 63 federal HMS-focused boardings in the Exclusive Economic Zone
  • 24 state-waters boardings, which included both state-licensed and federally permitted vessels.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

Seafood Tips from the People Bringing You America’s Seafood (Part 1)

November 21, 2025 — Across the country, fishermen, farmers, chefs, and educators are working to keep fishing heritage alive while inspiring new generations to value the bounties of our coastal waters. Here, experts from the Atlantic coast share their stories and tips for making seafood a bigger part of your life—no matter where you live. And stay tuned: we’ll be sharing Part Two featuring insights from Pacific coast experts.

Captain Brady Lybarger, Scallop Shack Farms

New Jersey

Scallop Shack Farms began as South Jersey’s original seafood pop-up. Captain Brady Lybarger, an experienced second-generation commercial fisherman, and his wife Amanda started selling scallops from the back of their truck during the pandemic.

Today, the thriving family-run market in Cape May, New Jersey offers scallops, seasonal catches, and gourmet goods, all sourced directly from American fishermen. Brady runs the shop with his wife, her father and sister-in-law, and even nieces, welcoming seafood lovers in to buy and connect. At Scallop Shack Farms, seafood goes from boat—often Brady’s own F/V Salted—to home chefs within hours of landing. Customers don’t just buy seafood there—they learn the story behind it, meet the people who caught it, and become part of a growing family of supporters.

Brady knows firsthand the challenges facing the fishing industry, with declining fisheries, rising costs, and fewer young workers entering the trade. That’s why he carves out time to serve on New England Fishery Management Council advisory panels on tilefish and scallops, ensuring fishermen’s knowledge informs management decisions.

Captain Brady’s Seafood Tips

  • Start fresh: A fresh, well-handled product makes all the difference. Scallop Shack Farms takes pride in bleeding and brining fish and delivering them within 24 hours when possible.
  • Keep it simple: For scallops, the secret is to pat them completely dry, then sear in a hot pan for 1.5-2 minutes per side. Add just salt, pepper, oil, and butter—no need to over-season a good product.
  • Ask questions: Don’t hesitate to talk with your fishmonger or fisherman—they’re happy to share how the seafood was caught and the best ways to prepare it.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

NEW JERSEY: Long Delayed Jersey Shore Wind Farm Gets Scrapped

November 17, 2025 — Yet another offshore wind farm in New Jersey is being canceled by its developers.

Leading Light Wind, which already has been delayed twice and was pending a third delay request, will not be moving forward, an attorney for the project said in a letter to the New Jersey Board of Public Utilities (BPU).

Colleen A. Foley, the attorney representing Leading Light Wind, wrote that the company “cannot move forward” under the terms the BPU set out. In the letter, the company withdrew their request for another delay.

Read the full article the Patch

NEW JERSEY: New Jersey, Sysco to expand oyster shell recycling

November 11, 2025 — New Jersey environmental officials and food distributor Sysco Corporation announced a partnership Nov. 10 to recycle more seafood shell from restaurants and expand the state’s program for building oyster reefs.

At a news conference at Sysco’s Buckhead Meat & Seafood processing facility in Lakewood, N.J., the state Department of Environmental Protection detailed how Sysco “will collect discarded oyster and clam shells from restaurants it serves across the region and provide them to the agency’s Shell Recycling Program for oyster reef enhancement projects that could potentially expand to multiple sites along the state’s coastline.”

It’s an ancient principle of shellfish growers that oyster larvae need to attach to a hard substrate to develop – preferably clean oyster or clam shells. With water quality improvements, enterprising New Jersey shellfishermen began working on leased grounds for aquaculture leases, and by the 1990s a commercial oyster revival showed the potential for future growth.

“Sysco is excited to partner with the New Jersey Department of Environmental Protection to scale a project we have been interested in for several years,” John Yates, president of Buckhead Meat & Seafood’s Mid-Atlantic Region, said in a joint statement with DEP officials. “Preserving and restoring oyster reefs is not only important for the shellfish themselves but also to the broader marine ecosystem and our communities that rely on this for critical proteins.”

Read the following was released by the National Fisherman

Facing a Hostile Administration, U.S. Offshore Wind Is in Retreat

October 23, 2025 –  Each year, the Sweeney Center for Public Policy at Rowan University in New Jersey hosts a conference on the state’s current and future energy landscape. In 2023 and 2024, the gatherings focused heavily on the rapidly accelerating development of offshore wind, which state officials then predicted would power some 2.5 million homes — about two-thirds of the state’s total housing units — by 2030. At this year’s event, however, the industry was barely mentioned, and when it was, its one-time advocates were subdued and almost eulogistic.

Tim Sullivan, the head of the New Jersey Economic Development Authority, which had been closely involved with the state’s efforts to develop offshore wind, sounded wistful. “I remain optimistic and confident that it gets done sometime in our lifetime,” he told the conference.

Optimism about the future of U.S. offshore wind has collapsed since President Trump, a vehement critic of the industry, returned to office in January. In the ensuing nine months, his administration has accelerated the end of federal tax credits for wind development, imposed tariffs on turbines and other needed parts, and eliminated funds for building onshore port facilities for servicing wind farms.

Read the full article at the Yale Environment 360 

NEW JERSEY: NJ Commercial Fishermen Can Apply For Compensation From Empire Wind Farm, Being Built Off Long Branch

October 1, 2025 — If you are a New Jersey commercial fisherman, or a shoreside business for commercial fishing, you can be compensated for any negative outcomes of the construction and operation of Empire Wind.

Empire Wind is the first wind farm to be built off New Jersey; it is being built 19 miles off Long Branch. Currently, they are about halfway done with construction, the company says. Empire Wind is owned by the Kingdom of Norway, a majority shareholder in Norwegian renewable energy company Equinor.

“Empire Wind is continuing to work with the fishing community to avoid and mitigate any project impacts,” said Empire Wind. “A fisheries compensation program has been established to provide compensation to commercial and charter/for hire fishermen along with shoreside businesses that have been economically impacted by construction and operations activities.”

Read the full article at The Patch