Saving Seafood

Those Who Go to Sea

May 5, 2026 — I’m a field scientist for the Cooperative Research Branch and come from a long line of Gloucester fishermen, although no one in my immediate family took up the trade. My favorite aspect of my job is working collaboratively with fishermen. My second favorite thing is listening to their stories.

I’ve sailed often aboard the F/V Miss Trish II to update the conversion factors for groundfish species. On my most recent trip, I asked the crew, “How did you start out fishing and what keeps you coming back time and time again?” Here’s what they had to say.

Lenny, Captain

Lenny Russo is the captain of the F/V Miss Trish II out of Gloucester, Massachusetts. It’s a family owned and operated vessel—a rarity among large commercial trawlers these days. His very first trip was during the summer when he was just 13 years old. At the time, his father was harder on him because he was his kid and he didn’t want the rest of the crew to think he was getting special treatment. After completing a construction management associates degree, a recession led him to take up fishing on the family boat. In his first trip he made $5,000 in 5 days and never looked back. For a young 22 year old, that was a lot of money, especially when jobs out of college were only offering him $30,000 a year. But, fishing isn’t always a lucrative business. During his second year he brought home far less than the first. It made him realize you have to really save for those rainy days or years due to the inconsistency of fishing.

After 7 years in the fish hold he was ready for more and left to become first mate aboard the F/V Theresa Marie IV out of Portland, Maine. He ended up in Alaska for a year as a deckhand where he bought a boat and permit for the salmon fishery there. During the off season, he came back East. He first worked out of Boston, Massachusetts, and later captained the F/V Harmony out of New Bedford, Massachusetts, for a few years.

“I wanted to learn from a bunch of people. In Gloucester, we do it differently than people in Boston and they do it differently from the Mainers.”

Since his father’s retirement, Lenny now captains the family boat full time. After many years of doing the grunt work, his favorite aspect of being captain is being able to wear his flip flops in the dead of winter.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

New System Maps and Charts West Coast Fisheries Data to Inform Decisions on Ocean Uses

May 5, 2026 — A new system combines decades of fisheries data and statistics to visualize West Coast fisheries and how they have changed over time.

The Pacific Fishing Effort Mapping Project was led by researchers at NOAA, state wildlife departments, and the Pacific States Marine Fisheries Commission. It consolidates location and catch data from fishing vessels with landings and economic figures into revealing maps and charts of major West Coast fisheries. It then shows how they may be affected by other ocean uses. For instance, the new system turns data on the catch value of groundfish into a landscape of colors depicting the West Coast, where the highest value catch areas stand out boldly.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

United States Pushes for Stronger Action to Fight Illegal Fishing and Sustainably Manage Fisheries in the North Pacific

May 5, 2026 — The United States advanced its goals to combat harmful fishing practices at the North Pacific Fisheries Commission’s 10th annual meeting in Osaka, Japan, in April. The Commission is a regional fisheries management organization. It manages pelagic and deep-sea fisheries in the high seas of the North Pacific, other than those managed by other international organizations. The United States is one of nine Commission members.

The United States does not have fishing vessels active under NPFC but its outcomes align with broader U.S. objectives related to:

  • Promoting sustainable fisheries management
  • Bolstering maritime security on the high seas adjacent to U.S. waters
  • Ensuring U.S. seafood imports derive from legal, well-managed fisheries

Illegal, Unreported, and Unregulated Fishing

A top U.S. priority is combating illegal, unreported, and unregulated fishing. IUU fishing undermines sustainable fisheries management, U.S. seafood competitiveness, and consumer confidence in seafood supplies.

The Commission took several steps to strengthen and implement tools to combat IUU fishing at its annual meeting, including adopting a measure on minimum standards for port inspections. This measure lays out basic obligations for port states and other actors when foreign fishing vessels request entry into port. It will help prevent the landing and entry into commerce of IUU fish and fish products. It is aligned with the Agreement on Port State Measures and related information exchange systems. Adoption of the measure complements similar measures in other regional fisheries management organizations. It also strengthens other monitoring, control, and surveillance tools the Commission has in place to combat IUU fishing at sea, such as:

  • High seas boardings and inspections
  • Vessel monitoring systems
  • Transshipment observer program

The Commission also adopted a U.S. proposal to amend the measure that establishes a list of vessels involved in IUU fishing and imposes consequences on those vessels. The existing measure had a potential gap in the timeframe under which vessels could be nominated for inclusion on the list. The U.S. proposal successfully closed that gap and strengthened other aspects of the measure. It launched a process to develop clearer procedures to share information with other regional fisheries management organizations and take comparable measures against vessels on other organizations’ IUU vessel lists.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

NOAA announces USD 99 million for Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund

May 5, 2026 — NOAA Fisheries has announced USD 99 million (EUR 85 million) in annual funding for the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund, though the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump is once again pushing to terminate the fund.

“The Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund has a strong track record of supporting states and Tribes in completing projects that support the economy,” NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator Eugenio Piñeiro Soler said in a release. “The projects help increase Pacific salmon populations, which sustain federal ocean fisheries and benefit tribes.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Future of the Catch: the Modernization of Recreational Red Snapper Data Collection

May 4, 2026 — Red snapper is a cultural and economic cornerstone for coastal communities in the Gulf of America. The species is a massive driver for tourism and local commerce. For many in the Southeast, red snapper fishing is a multi-generational tradition, making it a flagship species for the world’s largest recreational fishery. Effectively managing and preserving this vibrant species requires more than just accuracy, it demands a swift, responsive flow of data.

Technological advancements are shortening data collection timelines. This means scientists are able to collect larger pools of data, faster than ever, and can quickly analyze results to better inform management decisions. NOAA Fisheries deploys AI-driven video and acoustic monitoring devices to count fish in their natural habitat. We also rely on other key components of the data modernization revolution to improve our data.

In 2025, NOAA Fisheries and the Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission announced seven new red snapper data improvement projects. On January 1, 2026, these projects began, marking the beginning of a collaborative, state-federal initiative to improve recreational fishing effort and discard data collection in the Gulf. To see this transformation in action, meet three of the partners redefining how we understand and protect the fishery.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

Trump, DeSantis herald extended Atlantic red snapper season

May 4, 2026 — President Donald Trump and Gov. Ron DeSantis announced Friday that federal regulators had approved a permit for Florida to temporarily take over management of recreational red snapper fishing off the Atlantic coast.

Under Florida’s earlier proposed plan, the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission would be allowed to manage Atlantic red snapper through 2028. The state’s plan would give Atlantic recreational anglers a 39-day red snapper fishing season this year, a massive spike compared to last year’s two-day season. Exempted fishing permits were also given to Georgia, South Carolina and North Carolina.

As of Friday evening, NOAA Fisheries had not officially published its approval. Multiple agency spokespeople did not respond to requests for information on the permit approvals.

Read the full article at E&E News

NOAA Fisheries Announces Availability of $99 Million for Pacific Salmon

May 1, 2026 — NOAA Fisheries announced up to $99 million in funding through the Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund for conservation and recovery projects that support Pacific salmon.

The funding supports Administration priorities by improving habitat and other actions to increase the production of salmon and steelhead that contribute to U.S. fisheries. Stronger fisheries make the U.S. seafood sector more competitive, as described in the Executive Order on Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness. Competitive fisheries create jobs and put more domestic seafood on American dinner plates.

“The Pacific Coastal Salmon Recovery Fund has a strong track record of supporting states and tribes in completing projects that support the economy,” said Eugenio Piñeiro Soler, Assistant Administrator for NOAA Fisheries. “The projects help increase Pacific salmon populations, which sustain federal ocean fisheries and benefit tribes.”

Fishing guide Butch Smith said healthy fisheries need healthy habitat. “Habitat is our savings account—it’s our bank account that supports the salmon we rely on,” said Smith, who is also vice chair of the Pacific Fishery Management Council. “When we take care of it, we see a huge return on that investment, not just to the Northwest, but to the nation and everyone who values this great salmon resource.”

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries 

NOAA Fisheries Certifies Two State Recreational Fishing Surveys to Improve Catch Estimates

April 30, 2026 — NOAA Fisheries has certified Alabama’s and Mississippi’s creel surveys as part of a move to advance federal-state partnerships for recreational fisheries management strategies. These surveys aim to produce more timely and precise estimates of state-specific recreational fishing catch and trip activity. This certification marks a significant milestone in the initiatives NOAA is undertaking to improve recreational fishing data.

Certification means AL Creel and MS Creel were found to be statistically valid approaches to provide key recreational fishing statistics. Both surveys are now eligible to receive NOAA Fisheries’ funding as it becomes available.

“This certification is a testament to the hard work of our data collection partners in Alabama and Mississippi and the close coordination of our teams throughout the process,” said Dr. Katherine Papacostas, director, NOAA Fisheries Office of Science and Technology, Recreational Fisheries Statistics – Program Management Branch. “Certification is a core component of meeting NOAA Fisheries’ national recreational fishing survey and data standards, and we were pleased to provide technical support to help our partners achieve this rigorous benchmark.”

We worked closely with both states to coordinate the independent peer review of these surveys. Both surveys—modeled after Louisiana’s LA Creel Survey, which is also NOAA certified—received favorable reviews for certification with recommendations for continued improvement. Both designs use shore-based in-person surveys to estimate recreational catch and off-site telephone surveys of licensed anglers to estimate fishing effort.

“The certification of the Mississippi Creel and Alabama Creel surveys represents a collaborative achievement between the state agencies, Gulf States Marine Fisheries Commission, and federal partners to produce timely, statistically rigorous, and multi-species recreational catch estimates that enhance regional consistency across the Gulf and provide data necessary for more accurate stock assessments and sound fisheries management,” said Trevor Moncrief, director of marine fisheries, Mississippi Department of Marine Resources. “We at the Mississippi Department of Marine Resources are incredibly grateful for the partnership of our neighboring states, especially the guidance received by Louisiana Department of Wildlife and Fisheries staff, and the efficiency at which this effort was able to be completed by our colleagues at NOAA Fisheries.”

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

Putting the Fishing Industry First at the Cooperative Research Summit

April 27, 2026 — On April 1 and 2, we held our fourth annual Northeast Cooperative Research Summit in Riverhead, Long Island, New York. We had more than 150 participants, including more than 30 commercial and recreational fishermen—the largest gathering to date.

The Summit is an annual event focused on building partnerships between the fishing and science communities to address science and management needs. It prioritizes active participation of commercial and recreational fishing industry members and includes:

  • Learning about ongoing cooperative research initiatives
  • Small group activities to practice active collaboration
  • Large group discussions of shared research priorities

This year, the Cornell Cooperative Extension Marine Program joined the effort, organizing the Shinnecock port tours, opening and closing receptions, and lending other support. “Cornell Cooperative Extension was very happy to jointly organize the 2026 Summit. Our staff has attended each Summit since it started in 2023. It’s informative, engaging, and fun,” said Scott Curatolo-Wagemann, senior educator for Cornell Cooperative Extension. “We‘re extremely honored and proud to be a bigger part of the Summit this year. Each year, the extension staff and I come away from the Summit with a feeling of optimism and renewed dedication to cooperative research.”

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

Western Atlantic acts as refuge for recovering bluefin tuna

April 27, 2026 — A sweeping three-decade study has confirmed that conservation measures in the western Atlantic have turned U.S. and Canadian waters into a critical refuge for Atlantic bluefin tuna — including fish that originate in the heavily fished eastern Atlantic and Mediterranean.

The findings, published in the Proceedings of the National Academy of Sciences, are based on electronic tagging data from 1,720 bluefin tuna tagged between 1996 and 2025, combined with catch records going back to 1950. The international research team was led by Dr. Barbara Block of Stanford University and included scientists from NOAA Fisheries, Acadia University, the University of Hawaiʻi, the Swedish University of Agricultural Sciences, the Institute of Marine Research in Norway, the Marine Institute in Ireland, and the Barcelona Zoo Foundation in Spain.

A TALE OF TWO FISHERIES

The catch data paint a stark picture of unequal fishing pressure across the Atlantic. Of total bluefin landings since 1950, the Mediterranean Sea alone accounted for 55 percent, while the entire western Atlantic—all waters west of the 45°W management line—accounted for just 11 percent. That disparity has widened in recent decades: the Mediterranean now represents 72 percent of Atlantic-wide bluefin catches.

Fishing pressure in the Mediterranean intensified sharply through the 1990s and 2000s, driven in part by the rise of capture-based aquaculture targeting more mature fish. Catches peaked at 60,000 metric tons in 2007—nearly double the scientific recommendations at the time. Historically, Mediterranean purse seine fisheries targeted juvenile fish aged one and two, removing them before they could grow large enough to migrate into the open Atlantic. In 2010, following widespread concern about the stock’s status, the International Commission for the Conservation of Atlantic Tunas (ICCAT) implemented significant quota cuts and binding conservation measures.

The western Atlantic has operated under a very different management regime. For more than 45 years, western catches have adhered to binding total allowable catch limits — typically a tenth of the eastern quota — and have included strong conservation measures such as prohibitions on targeted fishing in the Gulf of Mexico, renamed by the Trump administration as the Gulf of America.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman