Saving Seafood

ASMFC and NOAA Seek Contractor to Facilitate the 2027 National Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Summit Proposals Due May 1, 2026

March 31, 2026 — The following was released by The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

The Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission (Commission) and NOAA Fisheries are issuing a Request for Proposals (RFP) for the planning, facilitation, and execution of the 2027 National Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Summit. The Summit will be held during the weeks of March 15-19 or March 22-25, 2027 in Alexandria, VA.

 
The Commission and NOAA Fisheries are committed to sustainable and collaborative management of fisheries resources and have jointly hosted four previous National Saltwater Recreational Fisheries Summits, starting in 2010. Those Summits identified and described commonly held priorities of the saltwater recreational fishing community through guided and interactive discussions. In addition to strengthening dialogue and relationships, Summit findings and outputs subsequently helped to inform Commission and NOAA Fisheries actions and public engagement work.
 
Proposals must be submitted as an electronic proposal by email no later than 11:59 PM on May 1, 2026, to Alex DiJohnson. Please see the RFP for more details, qualifying requirements, and submission instructions. The RFP is available at https://asmfc.org/resources/2027-national-saltwater-recreational-fisheries-summit-request-for-proposals/.
 
For more information, please contact Alex DiJohnson at alex.dijohnson@accsp.org.

50 Years of Environmental Data Can Predict Health and Strandings of Sea Lions Pups in California

March 30, 2025 — For more than 50 years, NOAA Fisheries has conducted vital research on seal and sea lion populations at a remote research station on San Miguel Island, California. The long-term data set provides clues to help us understand what environmental conditions lead to malnourished California sea lion pups and increased stranding levels. This information is important for managing their populations and helping rehabilitation centers prepare for periods when sea lion pup strandings may be elevated.

Our research began on San Miguel Island in 1969 after scientists discovered a colony of northern fur seals breeding on Point Bennett the year before. This amazing uninhabited island lies 26 miles offshore of the California coast. It’s part of the Channel Islands National Park and is home to some of the largest populations of land-breeding pinnipeds in the world. Prior to this discovery, northern fur seals were last documented in California during the early 1800s—before their population was wiped out by seal hunters. Researchers began studying the new colony of fur seals along with California sea lions that also breed on the island.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

Court finds Gulf of Mexico fishery council appointments unconstitutional

March 30, 2026 — A federal appeals court in Louisiana has found that members of a Gulf of Mexico fishery council were unconstitutionally selected for their positions, but the judges stopped short of striking down a council plan to curtail the catch of a large saltwater fish.

The ruling issued Friday by the 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals is a partial win for a group of commercial fishers of the greater amberjack who had challenged the legality of the Gulf of Mexico Fishery Management Council and, by extension, sought to block the catch limits.

Because the council’s unconstitutional powers were not used in making its recommendation, the court need not toss out a NOAA Fisheries rule that implemented the catch limits, the panel of 5th Circuit judges found.

Read the full article at E&E News

Canada announces North Atlantic right whale protections for 2026

March 27, 2026 — Canada’s government has announced several measures to help protect highly endangered North Atlantic right whales in upcoming commercial fishing seasons, keeping some protections in place and adding a few new actions to help reduce entanglements and vessel strikes.

“The North Atlantic right whale is one of the most endangered animals on the planet, and we have a responsibility to act. Canada’s protocols are in place, and our whale-safe fishing gear pilots are showing real results. We can protect this whale and support our harvesters,” Canada Minister of Fisheries Joanne Thompson said in a release.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Upwelling saved the West Coast in 2025, NOAA reports

March 26, 2026 —  Despite a massive marine heatwave that gripped the eastern Pacific through much of 2025, the West Coast marine ecosystem held its own — thanks largely to strong wind-driven upwelling, according to NOAA Fisheries’ annual California Current Ecosystem Status Report.

“Warming continues to be an inescapable reality off the West Coast, but upwelling saved the day,” said Andrew Leising, a research oceanographer at NOAA’s Southwest Fisheries Science Center. The cold, nutrient-rich water pushed to the surface helped keep the ecosystem productive and held heatwave warmth offshore.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

NOAA issues USD 222,902 in penalties over mislabeling tuna imports

March 26, 2026 — Following two years-long investigations, NOAA Fisheries has levied a total of USD 222,902 (EUR 193,328) in civil penalties against two seafood importers accused of mislabeling tuna cans as “dolphin safe.”

In conducting retail market spot check audits, NOAA Fisheries Office of International Affairs, Trade, and Commerce’s Tuna Tracking and Verification Program identified two suspect seafood import firms that were importing yellowfin tuna from Mexican purse seiners that were improperly labeled as “dolphin safe.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Endangered Killer Whales Known for Isolation May Depend on Their Interaction with Other Populations

March 25, 2026 — Endangered Southern Resident killer whales are known for the tight-knit family structure that isolates them from other killer whale populations. In 2005, NOAA Fisheries listed the whales as a Distinct Population Segment under the Endangered Species Act due to their unique genetic legacy and endangered status. The 74 whales remain at risk from insufficient prey, environmental contaminants, disturbance and inbreeding.

In a recent study, scientists report that a fifth factor—interactions with other killer whale populations—may determine their future. They say such interactions may take three forms: competition for prey, sharing habitat, and interbreeding.

We asked lead author Michael Ford about the findings.

How can killer whales, known for their isolation from other killer whale populations, depend on interactions with them?

If you look back over multiple decades, we’ve known for a long time that there are genetic differences between the Southern Residents and other populations, reflecting  cultural differences, behavioral differences, and so forth. All those things showed they had become genetically distinct, and contributed to their listing under the Endangered Species Act.

On the other hand, I do think that over time, there’s been a tendency to treat them as more isolated than they really are. And some of the scientific results that have come about over the last several decades indicate that maybe they are not quite as isolated as we once thought they were.

One question is, are they becoming less isolated than they used to be? There is some evidence this might be occurring, particularly based on some of the observed range changes different killer whale populations have exhibited.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

Center for Biological Diversity to sue NOAA Fisheries over horseshoe crab decision

March 25, 2026 —  The Center for Biological Diversity (CBD) has notified NOAA Fisheries of its intent to sue the agency after it denied a petition to list horseshoe crabs under the Endangered Species Act (ESA).

“Horseshoe crabs watched the dinosaurs come and go, but now they face their greatest threat yet: us,” CBD Senior Attorney Danny Waltz said in a release. “Fortunately, we also have the power to save horseshoe crabs by protecting them under the Endangered Species Act.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

NOAA Conducts First Comprehensive Aerial Survey of Ice Seals in the Arctic

March 24, 2026 — During spring 2025, scientists conducted the most extensive aerial survey of ice-associated seals to date. The survey took place between April 4 and June 10, 2025, off the coasts of western and northern Alaska. The goal was to determine the abundance and regional distribution of four species in U.S. waters: bearded, ringed, spotted, and ribbon seals.

This survey used multispectral camera systems enabled with artificial intelligence (AI) to detect and document seals hauled out on the spring sea ice. We will use data from these sightings to estimate species abundance and distribution—critical information used to monitor and manage wildlife populations.

Spring is the Best Season for Surveys

Bearded, ringed, spotted, and ribbon seals are known collectively as ice seals because they use seasonal sea ice as a platform to rest and raise their young. They also haul out on the ice while they undergo an annual molt cycle. Molting is an energy-intensive process of shedding the top layer of skin to reveal a new fur coat. All ages of ice seals undergo this process each spring. This provides a short window when many seals are out of the water and available to be counted from the air.

The research is part of the Alaska Ice Seal Research Plan, which outlines key research priorities for these animals. The plan is developed each year in collaboration with the Alaska Native Ice Seal Committee’s Co-management Working Group. Seals are vital resources for northern coastal Alaska Native communities and are key species in Arctic marine ecosystems. Abundance estimates and distribution maps are crucial for sound decision-making about:

  • Co-management of subsistence use of ice seals
  • Conservation
  • Permitting of activities in the Arctic that could affect these species or their habitat

Researchers included scientists from the NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center and the University of Washington’s Cooperative Institute for Climate, Ocean, and Ecosystem Studies

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

NOAA Fisheries’ Eugenio Piñeiro Soler: We need better fishery council members

March 18, 2026 — The head of NOAA Fisheries said the U.S. needs better commercial fishery representatives on regional fishery management councils, but he acknowledged nominations are a political process that limits his control of who takes those seats.

“We need to have better council members and better managers,” NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator Eugenio Piñeiro Soler said. “You need council members who are more involved and knowledgeable of science and economics, the damage that they can do, international issues.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource