Saving Seafood

Announcing Scoping for Potential Permit Stacking in the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery

November 3, 2026 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Comment Period open through January 4, 2027

NOAA is committed to addressing the recent decline in fisheries landings and revenue, boosting sustainable aquaculture, reducing the seafood trade deficit, and strengthening supply chain resilience. After considering input from regional fishery management councils, the fishing industry, and the public, NOAA Fisheries sent Regional Priorities guidance in July 2026, providing the councils a clear roadmap of actions to support the goals of the Executive Order on Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness. To complement that guidance, NOAA Fisheries applied the same standard of accountability and results to its own work and announced agency-level actions in support of the EO.

Based on comments received in response to Executive Order 14276, the Secretary of Commerce is considering whether to develop an amendment to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan to allow permit stacking in the limited access scallop fishery. This is an important step in fulfilling the EO’s mandate to reduce burdens on domestic fishing and enhance economic profitability. The Secretary is considering addressing excess capacity in the limited access scallop fishery by allowing two Limited Access scallop permits within the same category and under common ownership or control  to be combined on a single vessel. The vessel would be permitted to fish the allocations for both permits, which would reduce business expenses associated with maintaining multiple vessels with low days-at-sea allocations.

NOAA Fisheries will hold five public hearings in November and December 2026 to solicit public comment on this potential Secretarial amendment to the Atlantic Sea Scallop Fishery Management Plan. The public hearing schedule is as follows:

Boston, Massachusetts

November 17 *4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Hilton Garden Inn Boston Logan Airport, 100 Boardman St., Boston, MA 02128

(*Note: The time of this Scoping Meeting is approximate and will begin 30 minutes after the conclusion of the Joint Scallop Committee and Advisory Panel Meeting)

Please register here.

Webinar

November 23, 11:00 a.m. – 1:00 p.m.

Join the webinar here. 

Please register here.

Barnegat, New Jersey

December 3, 4:00 p.m. – 6:00 p.m.

Barnegat Light Volunteer Fire Department, 907 Central Ave, Barnegat Light, NJ 08006

Please register here.

Webinar

December 7, 6:00 p.m. – 8:00 p.m.

Join the webinar here. 

Please register here.

New Bedford, Massachusetts

December 14, 1:00 p.m. – 3:00 p.m.

University of Massachusetts Dartmouth School for Marine Science and Technology East
836 South Rodney French Blvd., New Bedford, MA 02744

Please register here. 

NOAA Fisheries is also soliciting written scoping comments on this topic through January 4, 2027.

To access the scoping document and meeting details, please visit the scallop stacking page. 

Collaboration with Fishing Industry Contributes to Successful Longfin Squid Assessment

October 26, 2026 — Longfin squid is an economically important species that is challenging to study. Mostly caught from Rhode Island to New Jersey, it supports a commercial fishery worth approximately $32.5 million in 2024. It is often found on restaurant menus as calamari.

Longfin squid live less than a year, grow rapidly, and the number of young entering the population is highly variable. Their populations are influenced by dynamic ocean conditions, leading to shifts in abundance and distribution that are challenging to understand or predict. Longfin squid migrate with the seasons, generally moving south and offshore in the late fall and returning north and inshore during the spring. Scientific surveys capture seasonal snapshots of the population but they cannot provide specifics about the squid caught in the fishery.

Successful Research Track Peer Review

In August 2026, an independent panel of scientists completed the peer review for the Longfin Inshore Squid Research Track Assessment. The panel approved two new assessment models—both of which met all required Terms of Reference and were deemed suitable for management advice. These models mark a significant technical advancement over past index-based approaches. They are better able to capture the rapid growth, seasonal changes in abundance, and unique biology of this short-lived species.

This major accomplishment for a historically data-poor species was possible because of strong collaboration between scientists and commercial fishing industry partners. Having a better foundational understanding of longfin squid life history, as well as two distinct and credible models, gives managers greater flexibility and confidence in using the best available science. The review marks an important milestone in the multi-year effort to improve our understanding of longfin squid and develop better tools to assess the stock. The findings will be implemented during the upcoming Longfin Squid Management Track Assessment this fall.

We combined analytical expertise of scientists with on-the-water knowledge of fishermen who encounter this species throughout the year, making great strides together toward better understanding this economically important and enigmatic species.

“The foundation of trust and collaboration between the science and fishing communities was critical to the scientific progress made during the longfin squid assessment. From sharing ecological observations to collecting data to providing input on model assumptions and outputs, industry partners played a critical role in all phases of the assessment,” shared Dr. Anna Mercer, chief of the center’s Northeast Cooperative Research branch.

The goals of the collaboration are:

  • Better science for sustainable management
  • Better information to support decisions about how much seafood can make its way from the ocean to our tables

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

NEW JERSEY: New Jersey Partners with BoatUS Foundation to Track Abandoned Boats

September 30, 2026 — The following was released by BoatUS Foundation:

The New Jersey State Police is BoatUS Foundation’s newest partner in tracking and removing abandoned and derelict vessels (ADV) through the Foundation’s innovative ADV database. The national database provides a centralized resource for documenting ADVs, helping officials and agencies track vessels that may pose environmental, navigational, and public safety concerns.

In New Jersey, the New Jersey State Police (NJSP) Marine Services Bureau uses the database as an investigative tool to document and track ADVs. Information entered into the database can help investigators identify vessels, establish a record of reported incidents, and support enforcement and removal efforts when appropriate.

ADVs pose significant environmental and safety risks. They can damage sensitive aquatic habitats, leak fuel and other pollutants, obstruct navigation channels, and create hazards for other boaters. Removal costs can average $24,000 or more, depending on a vessel’s size, location, and condition. A centralized tracking system provides a way to document these vessels and help identify those requiring further investigation or removal.

The database is the first national tool of its kind for tracking abandoned and derelict vessels. Boaters and residents can upload an optional photo, log the date and time of a sighting, answer a short set of safety and vessel-related questions, and drop a pin on an interactive map to mark a vessel’s exact location. Every report, whether submitted by the public or by an agency like NJSP, feeds into a single national dataset, giving communities, agencies, and advocates a shared picture of the ADV problem nationwide.

New Jersey’s adoption of the database builds on the Foundation’s broader push to remove hundreds of ADVs from coastal waterways nationwide, supported by a 2023 award from the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) Marine Debris Program. That effort is already funding targeted removals in eight states and territories. The project will also bring the broader movement together at the Turning the Tide Summit, December 6-9, 2026 in New Orleans, Louisiana, where industry leaders, environmental stakeholders and waste management experts will tackle sustainable ADV disposal solutions.

To report an abandoned or derelict vessel, visit boatus.org/database. If you’re interested in attending the Turning the Tide Summit, register here.

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ABOUT THE BOATUS FOUNDATION:
BoatUS Foundation is supporting projects that were selected through its nationally competitive grant program for the removal of abandoned and derelict vessels throughout coastal and marine areas of the United States, including the Great Lakes. In an effort to help educate and prevent future ADVs, the Foundation also created a national ADV database to track the scope of the challenge and measure success, document ADV prevention and removal activities to share with the public, and support a national dialogue and education efforts on boating-related debris disposal. This project is supported by a 2023 award from the NOAA Marine Debris Program.

ABOUT THE NEW JERSEY STATE POLICE MARINE SERVICES BUREAU:
The New Jersey State Police Marine Services Bureau patrols state waterways, enforces boating laws, manages safety certification, and responds to on-the-water emergencies. Headquartered in West Trenton, New Jersey, the bureau oversees recreational boating safety and coordinates training across New Jersey’s coastal and inland waters.

The Fisherman’s Jim Hutchinson Misrepresents Key Evidence and Attacks Respected New Jersey Scientist’s Objectivity

September 29, 2026 — In The Fisherman’s September 24, 2026 NJ/DE Bay Region Fishing Forecast, New Jersey/Delaware Bay Edition Editor Jim Hutchinson, Jr. pressed for deeper Chesapeake Bay menhaden restrictions while repeating a broader narrative about the fishery that leaves out or conflicts with key parts of the scientific and management record. His report encourages viewers to see the reduction fishery as the cause of Maryland’s bait fishery problems and as a central answer to striped bass concerns, while giving little weight to the current menhaden stock assessment, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s (ASMFC) ecological reference points, the history of the Bay Cap, the Commission’s own scientific uncertainty, or analyses that challenge the so-called “gauntlet” theory.

He questioned fisheries scientist Peter Himchak’s objectivity without noting that his own publication had honored Himchak in 1987 with The Fisherman magazine’s Sportsman of the Year award for his work on striped bass restoration and conservation.

The video was published on YouTube and promoted on Facebook, in addition to appearing on TheFisherman.com as part of the magazine’s September 24 report.

We spoke directly with Himchak for his response. He rejected the suggestion that leaving New Jersey’s Division of Fish and Wildlife for industry work changed his scientific standards.

Read the full release at Access Newswire 

NEW JERSEY: Shellfish industry gets Assembly backing for aquaculture law change

September 29, 2026 — Just as farmers use barns to shelter livestock or to store equipment, many of New Jersey’s clam and oyster growers rely on land facilities to support their operations.

These hatcheries, processing areas and other structures, though, are not legally considered to be part of a shellfish grower’s business under what’s known as aquaculture laws.

Industry experts say that holds back investment and generally makes life more difficult for the shellfish farmers operating in a multimillion-dollar sector of the state economy.

“It is really important to the industry,” said Scot Mackey, executive director of the Garden State Seafood Association.

Many miles from the New Jersey tidal flats and marshes where clam and oyster farmers are growing their products, lawmakers in Trenton are working on a bipartisan basis to provide some relief. Legislation approved by the state Assembly last week would rewrite the state’s definition of aquaculture to ensure it incorporates land facilities.

Read the full article at the NJ Spotlight News

NEW JERSEY: ‘Please, not again.’ Nor’easter forcing fleets to stay docked — another hit to fishing industry.

September 28, 2026 — The massive coastal storm rocking the New Jersey coastline this weekend has caused major flooding, transportation issues, and a headache for fishermen all along the Jersey Shore. The storm sank the hopes of fishermen casting lines to catch a few more Fluke and Sea Bass.

Rough seas all week long forced charter captains in New Jersey to cancel or limit fishing trips as the coastal storm whipped into a Nor’easter by the weekend. The storm has forced the fishing industry to remain docked, keeping them from reeling in sorely needed profits at a time when fuel costs have doubled.

Charter fleets from Long Branch to Cape May have been docked as the storm kicks up offshore waves near 20 feet high and thrashes the coast with sustained winds up to 40 mph. In many cases the rough weather is keeping New Jersey captains from earning money to offset the cost of fuel. Since September 2025, diesel prices have risen by more than 70%, fueled in part the war in Iran that began in April.

Read the full article at NJ.com

New York, California sue to block Trump administration deals canceling offshore wind projects

September 23, 2026 — Democratic attorneys general from California and New York sued the Trump administration Tuesday over its plans to buy back offshore wind leases as President Donald Trump seeks to discourage the expansion of wind energy in favor of fossil fuels.

California Attorney General Rob Bonta said he is suing over removal of a project off his state’s coast planned by Chicago-based Invenergy. The Trump administration said in June that it’s buying back the company’s U.S. offshore wind leases for four wind projects on the East and West coasts.

New York Attorney General Letitia James, meanwhile, led seven states in suits seeking to block the Invenergy deal and another proposal with Bluepoint Wind, which agreed in April to end a wind farm under development off the New York and New Jersey coast.

The deals would hand energy companies $1.4 billion in taxpayer dollars in exchange for the cancellation of multiple projects. ln all, the Trump administration has pledged nearly $4 billion to companies to walk away from projects across the country.

Read the full article at The Associated Press

Shellfish farmers warn overregulation could drive NJ aquaculture to ‘extinction’

September 18, 2026 — Legislators advanced a package of bills Thursday intended to help New Jersey’s aquaculture industry, with shellfish farmers complaining that state regulations stifle expansion and have driven some to move out of state.

The Assembly’s agriculture and natural resources committee listened to an hour of testimony during an afternoon hearing at the Statehouse, where shellfish farmers blasted a common boogeyman: the Department of Environmental Protection.

Oyster farmer Matt Gregg, co-founder and operator of the Barnegat Oyster Collective and president of the New Jersey Aquaculture Association, likened the department to a villain from a Scooby-Doo cartoon. Like Scooby’s gang of teenage detectives, shellfish farmers have had to band together to fight foes like the pandemic, marine predators, and extreme weather, Gregg said.

“But more often than not, the foe is the New Jersey DEP,” Gregg said. “If we don’t do something, we will die a death of a thousand cuts. We will regulate everyone into extinction.”

Larry Hajna, a department spokesman, declined to comment.

One of the industry’s biggest challenges, farmers testified, has been the state’s longtime narrow definition of aquaculture, which specifically bars “construction of facilities and appurtenant structures” from the definition. That has set aquaculture farmers up for zoning and permitting hurdles that land-based farmers don’t face and also discouraged commercial investors from investing, Gregg and other shellfish farmers testified.

Read the full article at the New Jersey Monitor

Court order could threaten permits for surviving US wind projects

August 19, 2026 — A court decision remanding prior approvals for a wind energy project off New Jersey could pose a new threat to offshore turbine arrays under construction, as the Trump administration presses its relentless campaign against them.

The Aug. 10 decision by U.S. District Court Judge Jia Cobb in the District of Columbia granted a request by the federal Bureau of Ocean Energy Management to reconsider its permitting for  Atlantic Shores, planned as a 2.8 gigawatt project near Long Beach Island, N.J.

Local activist group Save Long Beach Island had sought a remand and reconsideration of the project’s construction and operations plan, approved in October 2024 in the waning days of the Biden administration.

Save LBI contended that BOEM failed to adequately consider the project’s likely effects under the Marine Mammal Protection Act, Endangered Species Act and National Environmental Policy Act, among other federal laws.

Read the full article at WorkBoat

DELAWARE: DNREC sinks old oilfield supply ship to expand Delaware artificial reef

August 18, 2026 — The Delaware Department of Natural Resources and Environmental Control has expanded the state’s artificial reef system by sinking the 180-foot Calcasieu Pass at Reef Site 13, creating new marine habitat and recreational opportunities for anglers and divers.

Reef Site 13, also known as the Del-Jersey-Land Reef, is located offshore at a point roughly equidistant from ports in Delaware, New Jersey and Maryland, due east of Bethany Beach. DNREC describes the site as the centerpiece of Delaware’s artificial reef system.

Read the full article at CoastTV