Saving Seafood

US lawmakers include funding for fish conservation, hatcheries, and battling invasive carp in Department of the Interior budget bill

January 7, 2026 — U.S. Congressional appropriations leaders have included several fisheries and aquaculture provisions in a recently released bipartisan budget bill for the U.S. Department of the Interior, which is part of a package of bills that need to pass by the end of January to avoid another government shutdown.

The legislature is months behind schedule in passing appropriations legislation for the fiscal year of 2026, having missed the 30 September deadline and plunging the nation into a government shutdown for several weeks. Lawmakers finally passed a short-term spending bill in November to reopen the government, but that funding is set to run out 30 January. With just a few weeks left to authorize more federal funding, Congressional leaders from the House and Senate appropriations committee have negotiated and released a trio of appropriations bills that will fund the government for the remainder of the fiscal year.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

US Congress rejects Trump’s NOAA Fisheries cuts in compromise budget proposal

January 6, 2026 — U.S. lawmakers largely rejected U.S. President Donald Trump’s proposed budget cuts to NOAA Fisheries in a new compromise appropriations bill Congress needs to pass before the government once again runs out of money on 30 January.

On 5 January, House and Senate appropriations leaders released a compromise piece of legislation that will fund the U.S. Department of Commerce – which houses NOAA Fisheries – through the rest of fiscal year 2026, which runs until the end of September. The compromise bill’s spending for NOAA Fisheries largely aligns with the original Senate version of the legislation, ignoring the Trump administration’s proposal to slash the agency’s funding and eliminate programs.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Lawmakers seek to protect US fishermen from low-priced imports

December 31, 2025 — There may be good news on the horizon for U.S. fishermen if Rep. Nancy Mace, R-S.C., can get legislation passed that would add “economic cause” as a trigger for economic relief for industries affected by low-priced imports.

Currently, under the Magnuson-Stevens Act, fishermen affected by natural or manmade disasters like hurricanes or oil spills are eligible for federal relief. But American shrimp fishermen, whose industry has lost half its value since 2021 due to imports, according to the Southern Shrimp Alliance, have no protection as their livelihoods collapse.

If passed, Mace’s “Protect American Fisheries Act of 2025” would expand NOAA’s Fishery Resource Disaster Assistance Program and allow states to formally request a fishery resource disaster determination in cases such as the U.S. shrimp fishery.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Conflicting Ocean Indicators Suggest Moderate Returns of Pacific Salmon

December 30, 2025 — Juvenile salmon encountered a mixed bag of ocean conditions off the West Coast in 2025, based on an annual analysis by NOAA Fisheries and Oregon State University researchers.

The researchers examine 16 ocean indicators, from temperature and salinity to the quantity and quality of food available to juvenile salmon during their first months in the ocean. That is a crucial period for young fish as they search for prey to grow big and fast enough to stay ahead of predators.

Researchers refined the indicators through years of monitoring. They help fish managers anticipate how many juvenile salmon will survive to grow large enough to be caught in fisheries or return to rivers as adults in the next few years. The insight can help shape fisheries worth millions of dollars to the coastal economy and ensure that recreational, commercial, and tribal fisheries continue at sustainable levels.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

2026 Marine Mammal Authorization Program Certificate Updated and Available Online

December 29, 2025 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

The Marine Mammal Authorization Program (MMAP) is a mandatory commercial fishermen’s registration program that provides annual exemptions for accidentally killing or injuring marine mammals (referred to as incidental take), during commercial fishing activities. If your fishery is classified as either Category I or II, on the List of Fisheries (LOF), you must obtain and retain an MMAP certificate.  You can find your category on the List of Fisheries website. This list is reviewed and revised annually. Please refer to the 2024 LOF, until further updates are published.

The MMAP requires that you:

  1. Retain an authorization certificate during fishing activities
  2. Carry an observer, as requested
  3. Comply with applicable Take Reduction Plans
  4. Report any marine mammal serious injury/mortality caused by fishing operations, within 48 hours of returning from the trip where the interaction occurred. Reports can be submitted online or mailed (visit the MMAP website for more information).

The MMAP certificate has now been updated for 2026. Please view and download the 2026 MMAP certificate HERE. You must retain and make available upon request, a PRINTED OR ELECTRONIC copy (on a device). 

If you are unable to access this online, printed copies:

  1. Are available at NOAA fisheries: 55 Great Republic Drive, Gloucester, MA (contact us for an appointment)
  2. May be available at your local state permitting office
  3. Can be requested via email or phone at: nmfs.gar.mmapcert@noaa.gov or 978-281-9120

Please contact us with any inquiries. Thank you for your cooperation.

Senate confirms new head of NOAA Fisheries

December 23, 2025 — The U.S. Senate has confirmed a new leader to head the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s fisheries division, the agency responsible for managing the nation’s marine fisheries and conserving protected ocean species.

The Senate approved Timothy Petty as the new Assistant Secretary of Commerce for Oceans and Atmosphere, the top position overseeing NOAA Fisheries, on Dec. 19, 2025. The confirmation follows Petty’s nomination by the White House and a Senate hearing in October where lawmakers questioned him on fisheries management issues, including stock assessments and disaster relief funding.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Top Marine Stories and Posts You Loved in 2025

December 22, 2025 — This year proved, once again, that the ocean is truly a fascinating place. In 2025, our features ran the gamut from creatures of the deep and newly discovered species to killer whales and restoring American seafood competitiveness. Check out the list below and see if your favorite made the list!

Top Features

Stories on how ocean health is affecting marine life, how we’re working to enforce laws to protect marine mammals, and how our scientists discover brand new species were among the most widely read.

Early Bloom of Toxic Algae off Southern California Sickens Hundreds of Sea Lions and Dolphins

Rescue teams face hard decisions over which animals to save.

Responders received more than 100 calls a day reporting sick sea lions and dolphins

New Kids on the Block: Species Discovered by Our Scientists

Over the years, NOAA Fisheries scientists have discovered dozens of species. Learn more about these species and what we’ve learned about them.

We’ve discovered fish, marine mammals, and invertebrates

Diving into Creatures of the Deep

Dive in and learn about creatures of the deep. These mysterious species live way below the surface of the ocean.

Creatures that live in the deep ocean—from corals, to jellyfish, to octopus, and more

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

NOAA Fisheries head says science is his priority

December 19, 2025 — NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator Eugenio Pineiro Soler said his top priority at the U.S. agency is improving science.

“My priorities when I took this job was number one science,” Soler said. “We have to have better science. We have to improve the science. We have to improve not our effort but our products, our results. And that’s number one priority of this administration.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

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