Saving Seafood

Revised crab import rules lift bans for some countries

May 18, 2026 — Federal regulators have revised earlier import restrictions on swimming crab fisheries, allowing some countries to resume shipments to the U.S. while maintaining a ban on others.

According to a May 10 notice from NOAA Fisheries, the agency reconsidered its prior “comparability findings” under the Marine Mammal Protections Act, which requires foreign fisheries exporting to the United States to meet marine mammal protection standards comparable to those required of U.S. fleets.

The decision follows a broader 2025 review in which NOAA evaluated approximately 2,500 fisheries across 135 countries. That review found 240 fisheries in 46 countries out of compliance, triggering import bans that took effect Jan. 1, 2026.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Capelin: a “Sea Canary” for Marine Ecosystem Change in Response to Heatwaves

May 18, 2026 — Twenty years ago, Dr. George Rose with Memorial University of Newfoundland called capelin “a sea canary for marine ecosystem change.” A new study reinforces its role as a pillar of healthy marine ecosystems. It shows that heatwaves can dramatically affect capelin populations. Commercially important fish species like salmon and halibut rely on capelin as a food source—as do whales, seals, sea lions, and seabirds. And because they are not commercially harvested in the northeast Pacific Ocean, studying capelin in Alaska offers a unique opportunity to investigate population changes relative to environmental factors.

Between 2002 and 2022, Alaska Fisheries Science Center scientists observed capelin’s response to two marine heatwaves.They found declines in capelin abundance reduced energy available to predators to less than 1 percent of pre-heatwave values.

Capelin: an Indicator Species for Marine Ecosystems in Alaska

Lead author of the study Rob Suryan explains, “We consider capelin, along with herring, sand lance, and krill, to be the ‘big 4’ pelagic schooling forage species in Alaska. They are incredibly energy-rich—meaning they have a high lipid, or fat, content. And when they school, they form dense aggregations, which greatly increases foraging efficiency for predators. These two factors make them very valuable food for marine mammals, seabirds, and many commercial fish species.”

Abundant prey is critical for these predators. Decreased capelin populations, in particular, have been linked to declines in cod, birds, and seals and sea lions in both the North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans.

In the North Atlantic Ocean, capelin are harvested for food, bait, and fishmeal by multiple countries. They are not commercially harvested in the northeast Pacific Ocean. Therefore, changes in capelin abundance and condition in the waters off Alaska primarily reflect natural changes that are independent of potential effects by commercial harvesting. This “canary” for ecosystem change in Alaska provides an important, unbiased indicator for understanding how environmental changes influence population fluctuations of capelin and other species throughout the ecosystem.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

Trump administration asks NEFMC to kill rule forcing herring fishers to pay for at-sea monitors

May 14, 2026 — The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has asked the New England Fishery Management Council (NEFMC) to abandon a rule forcing commercial herring fishers to pay for at-sea monitors out of pocket.

“After careful consideration, we have determined that an action removing Atlantic herring monitoring requirements […] may be warranted to remove unused provisions that are not achieving their intended goals and, thereby, reduce regulatory burdens on Atlantic herring fishery participants,” NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator Eugenio Piñeiro Soler said in a 1 May letter to the council. “Because the herring [industry-funded monitor] program imposes costs on [NOAA Fisheries] as well as the herring industry itself in order to be effectively implemented, in the face of declining resources and the need to prioritize our activities to support the Administration’s goals and objectives of Executive Order 14276, it is unlikely that [NOAA Fisheries] will have the resources necessary to support this program.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Lots of Talk About the Recent Cooperative Research Summit—Here’s What They’re Saying

May 14, 2026 — In early April, the Cornell Cooperative Extension Marine Program joined us in hosting our fourth annual Northeast Cooperative Research Summit in Riverhead, Long Island, New York. It focused on bringing scientists and fishermen together to build research partnerships to address science and management needs.

Participants included the commercial and recreational fishing community, commercial fishing advocacy groups, non-governmental organizations, academic and non-profit research institutions, federal, state, and local agencies, and blue tech startups. They come to the Summit with purpose and goals for what they hope to achieve.

Here’s what some of them had to say about their Summit experience and what it meant to them. Their reflections help us better understand participants’ overall satisfaction of the event, hear their thoughts on the format and value of the presentations and breakout sessions, and identify ways to improve future Summits.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries 

NOAA Fisheries Finds Listing Gulf of Alaska Chinook Salmon Under the Endangered Species Act “Not Warranted”

May 13, 2026 — The following was released by NOAA Fisheries:

NOAA Fisheries has completed a status review and 12-month finding for Gulf of Alaska Chinook salmon in response to a January 2024 petition. The Wild Fish Conservancy petitioned to delineate and list one or more evolutionarily significant units (ESUs) of Gulf of Alaska Chinook salmon as threatened or endangered under the Endangered Species Act. 

We have determined that listing any of the three ESUs of Gulf of Alaska Chinook salmon under the Endangered Species Act is not warranted. This determination is based on the best available scientific and commercial information and the findings of the status review.

 

Magnuson-Stevens Act at 50: Charting a Course to Sustainable Fisheries

May 8, 2026 — In April, we celebrated the 50 years since the United States signed the Magnuson-Stevens Act. This landmark law set the United States on a course toward sustainably and cooperatively managed marine resources. But in order to appreciate how far we’ve ventured, it helps to understand why we embarked.

Vacuuming the Seas

The mid-20th century was a boom time for fishing around the world. Technological advances changed how people harvested, transported, and consumed seafood. More fish were being harvested off the coasts of the United States, but not necessarily by American fishermen.

Between 1965 and 1975, the volume of fish caught by foreign fishing vessels in the United States exceeded the catch of domestic harvesters. The newer, larger, far-ranging factory trawlers of the foreign fleets would anchor just beyond the 3-nautical-mile U.S. territorial limit. As Senator Warren Magnuson (D-Washington) recalled, the fleets were “virtually vacuuming the seas” of valuable marine life—and economic opportunity. When they depleted one stock, they simply moved on to the next. In many cases, they sold their harvest back to American consumers after

“If the U.S. is to maintain world prominence,” warned Magnuson, “we must learn to steward our declining resources.” He partnered with Senator Ted Stevens (R-Alaska), Representative Don Young (R-Alaska) and Representative Gerry Studds (D-Massachusetts) to push for action through extensive deliberations in both chambers of Congress.

Lawmakers agreed that a serious problem existed, but they debated how to solve it. The 94th Congress considered dozens of proposals before combining ideas into one law. On April 13, 1976, they passed what is now known as the Magnuson-Stevens Act.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

Trump proposes 41 percent cut to NOAA Fisheries budget, transferring ESA and MMPA responsibilities

May 7, 2026 — The administration of U.S. President Donald Trump has proposed a 41 percent budget cut to NOAA Fisheries, which includes the removal of effectively all protected species and habitat conservation functions.

“Funding cuts for NOAA could not come at a worse time when you consider just how vulnerable American fisheries and fishermen are right now,” Jeff Watters, vice president of external affairs at NGO Ocean Conservancy, said in a release. “We are essentially putting blindfolds on and hoping for the best.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

NOAA Fisheries wants to ditch Atlantic herring monitors

May 7, 2026 — The Trump administration is pressuring regional officials to roll back a monitoring program for Atlantic herring fisheries, reversing course on regulations that sparked the legal battle that upended the Chevron doctrine.

NOAA Fisheries chief Eugenio Piñeiro Soler outlined the directive in a May 1 letter to the New England Fishery Management Council, the regional agency charged with creating management plans and setting catch limits.

Pointing to an executive order on “seafood competitiveness” issued by President Donald Trump in 2025, Soler directed the council to reverse an earlier decision to leave the monitoring program in place. He warned that failing to do so might spur involvement by Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick.

Read the full article at E&E News

Breaking Barriers to “Big Earth Data”

May 6, 2026 — Dr. Elizabeth “Eli” Holmes received the prestigious Earth Science Information Partners Martha Maiden 2026 Award in January. Dr. Holmes’ 25-year career at NOAA Fisheries demonstrates a deep commitment to advancing open science, fostering collaboration across agencies, and inspiring the next generation of scientists.

At NOAA’s Northwest Fisheries Science Center, Dr. Holmes creates a bridge to apply fisheries and ocean data to solve conservation problems. For example, turning data from fisheries observing systems into actionable information via publicly available models can improve population status assessments, harvest models, and forecasts of imminent threats such as harmful algal blooms. She has developed innovative quantitative tools such as statistical algorithms that support population trend assessments and conservation efforts for species, like endangered Pacific salmon.

Education and training are her passions and the center of her devotion to data accessibility. She has been heavily involved in organizing, teaching, and mentoring at earth science events. She is an affiliate faculty for the University of Washington’s School of Aquatic and Fishery Sciences.

In recent years, she has focused on making “big earth data” accessible to the wider fisheries community. “Big earth data” refers to the massive, complex datasets that describe Earth’s systems. These include oceanographic and climate data from remote-sensing satellites, mooring buoys, and underwater gliders that drive models providing forecasts of climate, ocean conditions, and more. She has organized more than 10 different ocean hackweeks and taught more than 500 career scientists.

“Dr. Holmes’ work strengthens scientists’ ability to produce transparent, reproducible, and accessible science, hallmarks of scientific integrity and public trust,” said Corinne Bassin, head of data solutions at Schmidt Ocean Institute, who nominated her for the award.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

Coonamessett Farm Foundation Releases Final Report on Scallop Dredge Configurations and Catch Efficiency

May 6, 2026 — The following was released by the Coonamessett Farm Foundation:

The Coonamessett Farm Foundation has released the final report for its project
entitled: Tension in the Air: Using a Tensiometer to Assess Dredge Fullness and Loss During
Haul-back Comparing Different Dredge Configurations. This report was submitted to NOAA
Fisheries in March 2026 and was prepared under the 2024 Sea Scallop Research Set-Aside
Program continuing more than a decade of collaborative, industry-based research. The report
evaluates the performance of three dredge configurations, 5-row apron, traditional 7-row apron,
and extended-link apron, under commercially representative conditions using paired dredge
deployments across four research trips conducted between September 2024 and July 2025 on
Georges Bank and adjacent areas.

A key innovation of this work was the integration of a tensiometer to measure warp tension in
real time, providing a novel approach to assessing dredge loading, performance, and catch loss
throughout both towing and haul-back phases.

This research demonstrated that while the 5-row apron configuration-maintained scallop catch
rates comparable to the 7-row configuration, the reduction in windowpane flounder bycatch was
modest  relative to an extended link apron. The 5-row apron configuration as required by
Framework Adjustment 25 represents an incremental improvement rather than an impactful
solution for reducing windowpane flounder bycatch in the sea scallop fishery. Additionally, the
application of tensiometer technology provides a powerful new tool for understanding dredge
dynamics and optimizing fishing practices.

More information about the project and the full report is available here:
https://www.coonamessettfarmfoundation.org/news-1/tension-in-the-air