Saving Seafood

Gulf partnerships shape the future of commercial fisheries

July 31, 2026 — NOAA Fisheries is highlighting decades of collaboration between commercial fishermen, state agencies and federal fishery managers as a driving force behind sustainable fisheries and stronger coastal economies in the Gulf of America, part of an eight-part series commemorating the 50th anniversary of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act. According to NOAA, the Gulf supports the nation’s second-largest commercial fishing revenue and a $20 billion annual fishing economy, with partnerships across the region helping balance commercial and recreational fisheries management.

The feature points to several examples of collaborative management, including improvements to fisheries data collection, joint fishery-independent surveys and coordinated efforts between NOAA Fisheries, the Gulf Fishery Management Council and Gulf states.

One example is the Gulf Fishery Independent Survey of Habitat and Ecosystem Resources (G-FISHER), launched through a partnership between NOAA Fisheries and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Research Institute. Since standardizing survey methods in 2019, annual sampling has expanded from roughly 600 to 700 sites to approximately 2,000 sites each year. NOAA says the data have supported 37 stock assessments covering 20 species.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

NOAA Fisheries highlights challenges in applying MMPA to foreign fisheries, seeks suggestions

July 30, 2026 — NOAA Fisheries recently said a law requiring it to ban imports from foreign fisheries that don’t align with U.S. marine mammal protections has been a useful tool in reducing bycatch but admitted it is very difficult to execute.

The Marine Mammal Protection Act (MMPA) has long required U.S. commercial fishers to take steps to reduce marine mammal bycatch, but a similar requirement to ban imports from foreign fisheries that do not take action to reduce marine mammal bycatch has not been consistently enforced. Amid growing pressure from conservation groups, in 2016, NOAA Fisheries finalized a rule laying out how it would assess those foreign fisheries. Under the rule, NOAA Fisheries would conduct a comparability finding for every single foreign fishery to ensure it met U.S. standards for protecting marine mammals and reducing bycatch. Those denied a comparability finding would be banned from exporting their products to U.S. markets.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

NOAA holds first-ever international cooperative research gathering

July 28, 2026 — NOAA Fisheries recently held what it is describing as its first-ever international cooperative research knowledge exchange with Scotland.

NOAA hosted 16 members of the Scottish Fishermen’s Association in a three-day event which involved tours of multiple ports, fishing vessels, and seafood processing facilities. The goal of the exchange was to share fisheries knowledge between the two organizations, which share management of multiple fisheries species in the Atlanic including Atlantic cod, Atlantic pollock, haddock, Atlantic mackerel, and Atlantic herring.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Balancing Energy Production and Aquatic Resources in the Roanoke River

July 23, 2026 — At the Roanoke Rapids Dam, a hydroelectric facility on the Roanoke River in North Carolina, NOAA Fisheries collaborated with Dominion Energy and partners to evaluate how adjusting the flow of water affects migratory fish and mussel populations in the river. Monitoring results are helping to ensure these aquatic organisms have the water flow and habitat they need, while maintaining robust energy production.

When large hydroelectric dams are constructed, the natural river flow is often modified. Water may be diverted through a hydroelectric powerhouse to generate electricity, then into an engineered channel. As a result, portions of the natural river may be cut off or receive less frequent water flow. This alters the river habitat below the dam, which can affect fish and aquatic organisms.

Since the Roanoke Rapids Dam was built, dam operators have diverted a majority of the water flow through a constructed channel so it can be used for electricity generation. This cut off water flow in a portion of the natural river, which became known as the bypassed reach.

In 2004, the Federal Energy Regulatory Commission issued a new license to Dominion Energy to operate the hydroelectric dam. At that time, NOAA Fisheries worked with Dominion Energy and other state and federal resource agencies to develop a new, multi-staged water flow pattern for the bypassed reach. Water flow would be increased during certain times of the year to ensure enough habitat was present for American shad and other migratory fish downstream. Three flow levels were planned for the first 20 years of the license: low, medium, and high. The new license also called for regular surveys to monitor the response of fish and aquatic organisms to the different flows.

In 2024 and 2025, scientists evaluated how the three flow levels had affected American shad, eel, and mussels. The results showed that populations in the bypassed reach increased during the medium and high flows, compared to the low flow level. However, the benefits of the high flow pattern were not significantly different from the medium flow pattern. That meant more water could be diverted to the powerhouse for energy production, without negatively impacting fish and mussels.

Based on these findings, Dominion Energy will use the medium flow pattern for the remaining 18 years of the hydroelectric license at Roanoke Rapids Dam. This allows them to generate more electricity during periods of peak demand, while also providing enough water in the river for migratory fish, like American eel and American shad, and other aquatic organisms like mussels during critical stages in their life cycles. The result is a win-win between resource agencies and industry, with parties coordinating closely and recognizing the importance of balancing power production and aquatic resources.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

Scottish fishing leaders look to Northeast cooperative research model

June 21, 2026 — A delegation of commercial fishing leaders from Scotland toured ports across the Northeast last month to study how cooperative research between fishermen and scientists is shaping fisheries management, with hopes of applying similar approaches as Scotland revises its own fisheries policies.

According to NOAA Fisheries, 16 members of the Scottish Fishermen’s Organisation participated in the agency’s first international cooperative research knowledge exchange, visiting four ports over three days. The group toured 12 commercial fishing vessels, six seafood processing facilities and dealers, a net manufacturing company in Point Judith, R.I., and the New Bedford Fishing Heritage Center.

The delegation focused on fisheries shared by the United States and Scotland, including Atlantic cod, haddock, Atlantic pollock, Atlantic mackerel, Atlantic herring, dogfish, and shortfin and longfin squid.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

NOAA Fisheries Announces a Negative 90-day Finding on A Petition Request to Revise the Critical Habitat Designation for the North Atlantic Right Whale

July 21, 2026 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries received a petition from Save Long Beach Island, Inc. to revise the critical habitat designation for North Atlantic right whales under the Endangered Species Act. The petition requests a revision to the current critical habitat designation to include a migratory habitat in waters between Maine and Georgia.

NOAA Fisheries reviewed the petition, references provided by the petition, and information readily available in our files, and found that the petition does not present substantial scientific information indicating a revision to North Atlantic right whale critical habitat may be warranted. Therefore, a negative 90-day finding was made.

Read the notice as filed in the Federal Register today.

Questions?

Industry: Jean Higgins, Protected Resources, 978-281-9345

Media: Contact GARFO Public Affairs

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council to Meet August 11-13, 2026, in Philadelphia, PA

July 21, 2026 — The following was released by the The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will meet Tuesday, August 11 – Thursday, August 13, 2026 at The Westin Philadelphia. The meeting is open to the public and will also be accessible via webinar. Meeting materials, webinar information, and public comment instructions are available on the August 2026 Council Meeting Page.

Major agenda items include:

  • Surfclam and Ocean Quahog: Adopt 2027-2028 specifications.
  • Butterfish: Adopt 2027-2029 specifications and consider alternative trip limits and other measures intended to increase quota utilization.
  • Monkfish and Skates: Review feedback received during the Spring 2026 listening sessions on potential fishery improvements.
  • Chub Mackerel: Review 2027 specifications and consider revisions if needed.
  • Northeast Fisheries Science Center Surveys: Receive an update on recent fishery-independent surveys and the Regional Industry Based Trawl Survey.
  • Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan: Receive a presentation from NOAA Fisheries on the scoping process for potential future modifications to the plan.
  • Summer Flounder, Scup, Black Sea Bass, and Bluefish: Review 2027 specifications and consider revisions, if needed.
  • Scup Winter I Framework (final action): Review alternatives and take final action.
  • Business Session: Receive committee, agency, and liaison reports; approve an appointment to the Scientific and Statistical Committee; and provide an opportunity for general public comment.

The Council welcomes public comment from in-person and remote participants. Instructions and deadlines for submitting comments are available on the meeting page.

Questions? Contact Mary Sabo at msabo@mafmc.org or (302) 526-5261.

NOAA finds gray whales have increased in population along US West Coast over the past year

July 21, 2026 — A new study published by NOAA’s Fisheries’ Southwest Fisheries Science Center found that population numbers of gray whales along the U.S. West Coast have increased since 2025.

How and why populations of Eastern North Pacific gray whales are seeing an uptick is still under research, but in a release, NOAA confirmed that the increase “likely exceeds the reproductive capacity of the population.” Last year, the most recent estimate for gray whale calves was the lowest on record at 85. Now, researchers estimate the population of Eastern North Pacific gray whales is between 15,930 and 20,530, which is much higher than last year’s estimate of between 11,690 and 12,890.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

NOAA Fisheries Seeks Comments on Ropeless Fishing

July 20, 2026 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries is seeking information from fishery participants and others with specialized knowledge on the potential voluntary use of ropeless fishing gear, which includes on-demand fishing gear and other fixed gear that does not use persistent buoy lines.

Responses to this request for information may inform the potential future voluntary use, development, and management of ropeless fishing in the Greater Atlantic Region. NOAA Fisheries is seeking feedback from various stakeholders, primarily fixed-gear and mobile-gear fishermen, and intends to summarize the responses to this request for information and share that summary publicly.

The comment period is open through October 14, 2026. Submit your comments through the e-rulemaking portal. NOAA will accept anonymous and non-anonymous comments.

For more information, read the request for information as published in the Federal Register.

US Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick goes against top choices for fishery management councils

July 17, 2026 — U.S. Secretary of Commerce Howard Lutnick has opted to go against some top nominations for U.S. fishery management councils.

In a 26 June announcement Lutnick announced he selected Forrest Bowers, the second choice for the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, instead the Alaska Governor Mike Dunleavy’s top choice and current Alaska Department of Fish & Game Board Chair Märit Carlson-Van Dort. For the Pacific Fishery Management Council, Lutnick selected second-choice Chad See, director of the Freezer Longline Coalition, over the Washington Governor Bob Ferguson’s first pic of Jamie Goen, the executive director of the Alaska Bering Sea Crabbers trade group.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource