Saving Seafood

ALASKA: Feds sending $99 million in aid to address three declared Alaska fishery disasters

June 19, 2026 — Alaska has been allocated about $99 million in new fishery disaster assistance, making up the majority of the $123.6 million in aid that federal officials on Wednesday said is headed to Alaska, Washington, Oregon and California.

In Alaska, the money is to address previously declared fishery disasters for Bering Sea snow crab and Chignik and Cook Inlet salmon harvests, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fishery service said.

For the lost snow crab harvest of the 2023-24 winter, the second year that the usually lucrative fishery was canceled because of low stocks, NOAA Fisheries is allocating $75.2 million in aid. That follows a 2024 allocation of $39.5 million in aid for the lost harvest in the winter of 2022-23.

Snow crab harvests have now resumed, though at much lower levels than in past years.

For the Chignik salmon disaster that occurred in 2022, the agency is allocating $18.5 million in aid. For the declared disaster for the 2023 Upper Cook Inlet east side setnet salmon harvest, the agency said it is allocating $5.8 million in aid.

Read the full article at the Alaska Beacon

ALASKA: Murkowski and Sullivan Welcome Funding for Fisheries

June 19, 2026 — The following was released by the Office of U.S. Senator Lisa Murkowski:

Today, U.S. Senators Lisa Murkowski and Dan Sullivan (R-AK) welcomed the announcement of roughly $99 million in funding allocated for Alaska fishery disasters from the U.S. Department of Commerce. This is a step toward funding for three Alaska fisheries that experienced disasters from 2022-2024. NOAA Fisheries will now work with the State of Alaska and Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission to develop a spend plan.

“Our fishing industry is part of the beating heart of coastal Alaska, but seemingly every fishery over the last decade has been hit hard by disasters beyond their control,” said Senator Murkowski. “This is one step in the process, but one step closer to ensuring fishermen, their crews, seafood processors, and communities impacted by these fishery disasters receive the funding they need. I sincerely appreciate Secretary Lutnick and those at the Department of Commerce for their commitment to helping our fishermen.”

“Alaska’s subsistence harvesters, commercial fishermen, and fishing communities have endured a series of fishery disasters and stock collapses beyond their control, threatening livelihoods and entire coastal economies,” Senator Sullivan said. “I have been pushing to resolve these disaster declarations and get this relief into the hands of Alaskans who need it. This nearly $100 million allocation—roughly 80 percent of the funding announced today—will provide critical support to those affected by the Bering Sea snow crab, Chignik salmon, and Upper Cook Inlet East Side Setnet salmon disasters. I want to thank Secretary Lutnick and the Department of Commerce for recognizing the extraordinary scale of the challenges facing Alaska’s fisheries and working with us to ensure Alaska’s fishermen receive the timely support they need.”

U.S. Department of Commerce allocates $123.6M in fishery disaster funding to Alaska, Oregon, California and Squaxin Island Tribe

June 17, 2026 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

Today, NOAA announced the allocation of $123.6 million in fishery resource disaster funding, appropriated by Congress in the American Relief Act, 2025. The funding will address fishery resource disasters that occurred in Oregon, California, the Squaxin Island tribe, and multiple Alaska fisheries between 2019 and 2023.

“Fishery resource disasters have devastating effects on local communities and our economy,” said Neil Jacobs, Ph.D, NOAA administrator. “This disaster funding provides much needed assistance to our fishing industry, and we will work with the affected communities to help them recover. This action demonstrates our continued commitment to hardworking American fishermen and to the President’s vision to uphold the United States as the world’s dominant seafood leader.” 

Today’s allocation announcement applies to previously declared fishery resource disasters, including:

  • 2023/2024 Bering Sea snow crab fishery in Alaska
  • 2023 Oregon ocean commercial salmon fishery
  • 2022 Chignik salmon fishery in Alaska
  • 2023 Upper Cook Inlet East Side Setnet salmon fishery in Alaska
  • 2024 State of California Sacramento River Fall Chinook and Klamath River Fall Chinook ocean and inland salmon fisheries  
  • 2023 Squaxin Island Tribe Puget Sound Fall Chum salmon fishery in Washington.

NOAA Fisheries used commercial revenue loss information to allocate funding across the eligible disasters. 

“These fishery resource disasters are of great concern for the fishing industry and the people and communities that depend on these fisheries to support their local economies,” said Eugenio Piñeiro Soler, assistant administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “NOAA will continue to provide guidance and resources to boost recovery and support more resilient fishing communities in the future.”

These funds will help improve the long-term economic and environmental sustainability of the impacted fisheries. Funds can be used to assist commercial fishermen, recreational fishermen, charter businesses, shore-side infrastructure, subsistence users, and other impacted community groups. Activities that can be considered for funding include fishery-related infrastructure projects, habitat restoration, state-run vessel and fishing permit buybacks, job retraining and more. Certain fishery-related businesses impacted by the fishery disasters may also be eligible for assistance from the Small Business Administration. 

As delegated by the Secretary of Commerce, NOAA Fisheries will administer the funds. In the next steps, NOAA Fisheries will work with the state of Alaska, the state of California, the state of Oregon, and the Squaxin Island Tribe and/or the appropriate designated entity. Fishing communities and individuals affected by these disasters should work with their state or Tribe as appropriate.

For more information see the detailed allocations to states and learn more about fishery disaster assistance.

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management: Science, Stewardship, and Shared Successes

June 17, 2026 — Fisheries management decisions often involve difficult tradeoffs between conservation goals, economic pressures, and the needs of fishing communities. The Mid-Atlantic region became an early example of how collaborative, science-based management could work across state and federal waters.

That commitment to collaboration helped shape early approaches to fisheries management that evolved into today’s continued efforts. After Congress passed the Magnuson-Stevens Act in 1976, eight newly formed regional councils became the foundation for fisheries management in the United States. In 1977, the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council was one of the first councils to implement science-based fishery management plans in partnership with NOAA Fisheries, state agencies, fishermen, and scientists. Their first fishery management plan—covering both Atlantic surfclam and ocean quahog—marked the beginning of decades of innovation in fisheries science and management in the region.

Building a Foundation for Sustainable Fisheries Management

Today, the Mid-Atlantic Council manages fisheries for 15 species under seven fishery management plans. The Council’s fishery management plans designate more than 50 forage species and species groups as “ecosystem components.” The Council works closely with NOAA Fisheries, the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission, the New England Fishery Management Council, fishermen, researchers, coastal communities, and others to balance conservation goals with economic opportunities.

A hallmark of the Mid-Atlantic region is its collaborative approach between federal and state managers. The Council and the Commission jointly manage several important fisheries across state and federal waters, including commercial and recreational fisheries for summer flounder, scup, black sea bass, and bluefish. This level of coordination across jurisdictions is relatively uncommon nationally, and has been an effective approach for cooperative fisheries management of interconnected resources.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

Humpback whale disentangled off coast of Massachusetts

June 16, 2026 — The Center for Coastal Studies disentangled a humpback whale Sunday afternoon off the coast of Massachusetts.

The young whale was anchored in fishing gear in the Stellwagen Bank National Marine Sanctuary and was freed by the center’s Marine Animal Entanglement Response team.

While the whale sustained some injuries from the entanglement, the team feels reasonably confident that it will recover, according to a release from the Center for Coastal Studies.

Late Sunday morning, recreational boaters reported a relatively small whale struggling in the buoy line of fishing gear.

The boaters reported the sighting to the U.S. Coast Guard, who contacted the NOAA Fisheries and the Center for Coastal Studies hotlines.

The Massachusetts Environmental Police were on patrol nearby and volunteered to stand by the whale while the response team attempted the disentanglement during a very short window of calm seas. TowBoatUS overheard the report and offered to stand by.

Read the full article at The Inquirer and Mirror

Governor welcomes presidential proclamation supporting American commercial fishing in the Pacific

June 16, 2026 — Gov. David M. Apatang welcomed President Donald J. Trump’s June 11, 2026, signing of the Executive Proclamation Restoring American Commercial Fishing in the Pacific, which restores access to designated fishing grounds within certain Pacific marine national monuments and reaffirms science-based fisheries management under existing federal law.

The proclamation includes portions of the Mariana Trench Marine National Monument and places these fisheries within the established management framework of the Magnuson-Stevens Fishery Conservation and Management Act, NOAA Fisheries, and the Western Pacific Regional Fishery Management Council.

The action recognizes the important role Pacific communities play in the stewardship and management of ocean resources.

Read the full article at Marianas Variety

Tagged and Tracked: Mapping the Journeys of Pacific Cod in the Bering Sea

June 16, 2026 — Pacific cod support Alaska’s second largest groundfish fishery and play a critical role in the Bering Sea ecosystem. In recent decades—particularly from 2017 to 2019—the Bering Sea experienced unusually warm temperatures and minimal sea ice. These conditions appear to have shifted Pacific cod distributions farther north compared to colder years, raising questions about long-term changes in population distribution and demographic structure.

Understanding a Shifting Species

In response to industry concerns and scientific data needs to support management, a research team launched a satellite tagging study in 2019. Led by Dr. Susanne McDermott—the Gulf of Alaska bottom trawl survey lead—the team included fisheries biologists Julie Nielsen, Kimberly Rand, and many others. McDermott recalled, “There was tremendous anxiety over what’s going on. Why are these fish in different places? Is this something that’s changing on a population level? Is this just the same population moving into different areas?”

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

June Council Meeting Addresses Commercial Management, Headboats, Black Sea Bass, and Dolphin

June 16, 2026 — The following was released by the South Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The South Atlantic Fishery Management Council met June 8-12, 2026, in St. Augustine, Florida. Below are some of the notable topics that were covered throughout the week.

During the first Full Council session, members received a series of reports and updates. Among the updates was a presentation from NOAA Fisheries’ Marine Recreational Information Program (MRIP) that addressed the newly announced Recreational Angler Partnership Improvement Directive (RAPID), a national initiative aimed at modernizing recreational fishing data collection through stronger collaboration between NOAA Fisheries, states, and regional partners. 

Commercial Management Measures (Amendment 60)

On Tuesday, the Council continued development of Amendment 60, which addresses commercial management measures in the snapper grouper fishery. The amendment is intended to increase flexibility and adaptability in the commercial sector by revising permit accessibility, trip limits, and bottom longline gear stowage requirements to allow fishermen to switch to or from bottom longline gear during a trip. The amendment also considers changes to the commercial snapper grouper (SG1) permit program, including eliminating the current “2-for-1” permit requirement, increasing trip limits for several species, and requiring that all snapper grouper harvested on vessels with commercial SG permits be sold.

The Council reviewed additional trip limit analyses conducted by NOAA Fisheries Southeast Regional Office (SERO), selected preferred alternatives for several actions, and approved the amendment for public hearings. Public hearings will be held in August 2026 and during the Council’s September 2026 meeting in North Charleston, South Carolina. Feedback received during the public comment period will be used to further refine the amendment before the Council takes final action, so if you are interested, be sure to provide your comment during this period.

Headboat Vessel Limits

The Council continued discussions on measures intended to address the needs of the South Atlantic headboat fleet by adjusting possession limits for vessels that carry large numbers of passengers. Under regulations that will go into effect soon, being considered through Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 36, a vessel carrying 40 passengers would be subject to the same vessel limit for gag and black grouper as a vessel carrying six passengers. To address this issue, the Council is evaluating a six-passenger-based vessel limit that would allow federally permitted headboats to retain additional gag and black grouper.

After further deliberation, the Council decided to continue looking at a “per six passengers” vessel limit for gag and black grouper. However, the Council removed scampand yellowmouth grouper from further consideration after learning that a vessel limit for those species would be more restrictive than the current per-person bag limit. The amendment will return for further discussion in September, with the Council expected to approve it for public hearings in December 2026.

Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Unit Revision (Amendment 61)

On Wednesday, the Council proceeded with work on Snapper Grouper Amendment 61, which would reduce the number of species included in the Snapper Grouper Fishery Management Unit (FMU). The Council is evaluating a subset of species to determine whether they continue to require federal conservation and management under the Magnuson-Stevens Act. Potential changes include removing species from the FMU or designating them as Ecosystem Component (EC) species, which remain in the Fishery Management Plan to support ecosystem management goals but are not subject to management measures such as annual catch limits.

The Council reviewed feedback from the Snapper Grouper Advisory Panel (AP) and an updated decision document. The Council clarified their intent to maintain permitting requirements for EC species to support data collection, bycatch monitoring, and habitat protections in the multi-species snapper grouper fishery. The Council also removed a proposed aggregate commercial trip limit for EC species while still considering a separate recreational aggregate bag limit. The amendment is on the agenda for September, with the Council expected to approve it for public hearings in December 2026.

Spawning Special Management Zones

The Council discussed three Spawning Special Management Zones (SSMZs) established to protect important spawning areas for snapper grouper species. While five SSMZs were created in 2017, regulations for three natural-bottom sites (South Cape Lookout, Georgetown Hole/Devils Hole, and Warsaw Hole) are scheduled to expire in August 2027 unless further action is taken. Through Regulatory Amendment 39, the Council will consider extending the sunset provision from 7 to 20 years or removing it entirely, making the protections permanent. The Council will continue reviewing this amendment at its next meeting and public hearings, which will likely be held this fall.

Changes to Seasonal Closures for Black Sea Bass Pots 

he Council advanced Snapper Grouper Regulatory Amendment 40, which would allow the black sea basspots equipped with on-demand retrieval systems to be fished inside seasonal closed areas currently in place to protect North Atlantic right whales and other marine mammals from entanglement in vertical fishing lines. On-demand retrieval systems keep buoy lines stowed at depth and only deploy them “on-demand” when fishermen return to retrieve their gear. The Council also considered reducing the trip limit for black sea bass pot gear in anticipation of lower catch limits soon to go into effect but removed the measure after receiving opposition from advisors and the public who cited concerns about trip profitability. Additional changes to black sea bass management are expected to be addressed through Snapper Grouper Amendment 56following completion of the upcoming stock assessment.

Dolphin Management

On Thursday, the Council received an update on the ongoing Dolphin Management Strategy Evaluation(MSE), a tool designed to test potential management strategies before they are implemented in a fishery. The Council reviewed recent modeling results from the Southeast Fisheries Science Center and provided feedback on management scenarios that could be evaluated through the MSE, including measures previously considered in Dolphin Wahoo Regulatory Amendment 3, such as changes to the minimum size limit and recreational retention limits for dolphin.

Following discussion, the Council voted to discontinue work on Regulatory Amendment 3. Council members noted that preliminary MSE results indicated the dolphin stock remains at a healthy biomass level and that the management measures under consideration were not expected to result in declines in spawning stock biomass. The Southeast Fisheries Science Center will continue developing and refining the MSE, which may serve as a tool for evaluating future management options in the dolphin fishery.

7 Ways El Niño and Large Marine Heatwave Could Affect West Coast Marine Species

June 15, 2026 — A large marine heatwave has bathed parts of the West Coast in very warm ocean waters over the past year, breaking temperature records in the Pacific. NOAA has also announced that El Niño has developed in the tropical Pacific and is predicted to intensify to a moderate or strong level this fall. El Niño represents another form of marine warming , though with different drivers and influences. The prolonged period of high temperatures could affect fisheries and marine life in the California Current that have already been buffeted by shifting ocean conditions over the last decade.

One factor may help dampen the impacts, though: The same strong upwelling of cool water along the coast that fuels the West Coast ecosystem with nutrients could help keep some warmer waters at bay, as happened in 2025.

We have seen these back-to-back heat events before. About a decade ago, a major marine heatwave known as “The Blob” began raising ocean temperatures off the West Coast, peaking in 2015. One of the strongest El Niños on record followed in 2015–2016, amplifying ocean warmth—as the current forecast predicts for the coming year. That was a worst-case scenario that drove changes around the world. The Pacific endured a record count of tropical cyclones and the Caribbean Sea and parts of Africa experienced severe droughts. That situation was more extreme than now, with the Blob lasting longer and affecting the entire West Coast compared to the smaller recent marine heatwave. However, research and observations during that unprecedented climatic pileup suggest the kind of changes we may see in the coming months along the West Coast. Though these changes are centered in the Pacific, they have far-reaching impacts.

Here are some of the ways warming water can impact marine life, coastal communities, and economies.

1. Shifting Fisheries

Research found that some commercial West Coast species, such as market squid, may be sensitive to these long-term and episodic changes in ocean temperatures. The shift of market squid north along the West Coast in response to warming from the Blob and subsequent El Niño created new fishing opportunities in Oregon and Washington during the Blob that remained afterward. Squid landings in Oregon rose from none in 2015 to nearly 3 million pounds worth more than $1 million in 2016 and continued to grow rapidly through 2020. This provided new opportunities for purse seine vessels whose opportunities in other fisheries affected by the Blob—such as sardine, Alaska herring, and Alaska salmon—had dwindled. Seafood processors in Oregon scaled up to handle more squid, and Oregon fisheries managers developed their first regulations for the emerging squid fishery. Market squid had been the largest commercial fishery by volume in California, but California landings dropped by more than half from 2014 to 2015. They remain substantially lower than they were prior to the Blob and El Niño.

Meanwhile, tropical species such as whale sharks and hammerhead sharks made northerly appearances off Southern California while fishing vessels caught albacore tuna much closer to shore as far north as Washington. Fishing boats caught a skipjack tuna off the Copper River in Alaska, and surveys turned up an ocean sunfish and thresher shark off southeast Alaska. Pacific bluefin tuna increased in number and size in U.S. waters, exciting recreational anglers and generating new revenue for the charter fleet. This year, Southern California anglers have begun catching dorado and yellowfin tuna much earlier in the year than usual, suggesting these northerly shifts may have begun.

2. Hungry California Sea Lion Pups

Higher sea surface temperatures also affect other fish species, including sardines and anchovy. These fish are high-energy staple foods for California sea lions that breed in Southern California’s Channel Islands, but declined with warming ocean temperatures. Sea lions turned to lower quality forage species such as rockfish and squid. Nursing sea lion mothers had to travel farther to find the food their pups needed, forcing pups to fast for longer periods at the rookery. The weight of sea lion pups declined, according to long-term studies in the Channel Islands . In El Niño years, many hungry pups set off on their own in search of food before their usual weaning time. In 2013–2016, as many as 4,000 pups arrived on California beaches, skinny and hungry. These extreme events taxed rehabilitation facilities and prompted NOAA Fisheries to declare an Unusual Mortality Event for the species. Researchers later estimated that an increase of 1 degree Celsius in sea surface temperatures could reduce the growth rate of the sea lion population to zero. A 2-degree rise would reduce the population size by about 7 percent.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

Diving Deep into Sperm Whale Clicks

June 12, 2026 — Between June and August 2025, my fellow scientists of the Southeast Fisheries Science Center and crew of the NOAA Ship Gordon Gunter deployed a towed hydrophone array—an underwater microphone system—about 300 meters behind the ship. The goal? To detect the sounds produced by one species in particular: the endangered sperm whale in the Gulf of America.

This survey was focused on finding and studying these deep-diving giants. The scientists worked with the ship’s crew to transit through prime sperm whale habitat. Visual observers, drone operators, and acousticians were always on high alert—each using their specialized methods to detect these creatures.

Types of Sperm Whale Clicks

The towed hydrophone array picked up lots of sperm whale clicks on this 3-month trip. If the acousticians heard a whale before the visual observers spotted one, they were able to guide the ship toward the location. The array has multiple hydrophones, and measuring the tiny time differences when a click arrives at each one allowed them to pinpoint where the whale was. That’s teamwork at its finest, and it’s pretty cool, right?

But you might be wondering, what’s so special about these clicks besides helping to find the whales? Well, there’s actually a whole lot more to them!

Echolocation Clicks

Sperm whales produce different types of clicks. When they dive deep in search of food, they produce echolocation clicks to sense their environment and find their prey. They do this by listening for the echoes that bounce off of objects. The longer the echo takes to return, the farther away the object is. As they get closer to their prey, the two-way transit time for the clicks decreases, and they speed up their click rates until they’re making a rapid-fire sound called a “buzz” or a “creak.”

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries