Saving Seafood

Fishermen challenge red snapper permits

October 7, 2026 — Six commercial fishing businesses and fishermen from Florida and North Carolina have filed a federal lawsuit challenging exempted fishing permits that authorize a 14-day recreational red snapper season in South Atlantic federal waters.

The lawsuit, Ariel Seafoods of Florida, Inc. v. Lutnick, was filed Oct. 5 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. The plaintiffs are asking the court to declare three permits issued Sept. 21 to Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina illegal.

The permits authorize recreational red snapper harvest in federal waters off the three states from Oct. 9 through Oct. 22, with the possibility of a second season in December. NMFS has separately established a three-day federal season, Oct. 9-11, for anglers not participating under a state permit.

At the center of the dispute is how additional red snapper harvest is being allocated between the recreational and commercial sectors.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman

Fishermen challenge red snapper permits

October 6, 2026 — Six commercial fishing businesses and fishermen from Florida and North Carolina have filed a federal lawsuit challenging exempted fishing permits that authorize a 14-day recreational red snapper season in South Atlantic federal waters.

The lawsuit, Ariel Seafoods of Florida, Inc. v. Lutnick, was filed Oct. 5 in the U.S. District Court for the District of Columbia against the National Marine Fisheries Service (NMFS) and Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick. The plaintiffs are asking the court to declare three permits issued Sept. 21 to Florida, Georgia, and South Carolina illegal.

The permits authorize recreational red snapper harvest in federal waters off the three states from Oct. 9 through Oct. 22, with the possibility of a second season in December. NMFS has separately established a three-day federal season, Oct. 9-11, for anglers not participating under a state permit.

At the center of the dispute is how additional red snapper harvest is being allocated between the recreational and commercial sectors.

Read the full article at National Fisherman

Commercial fishers ask NOAA to downlist Atlantic sturgeon

October 1, 2026 — Jamie and Paul Lane had expected to spend their week before Christmas fishing for perch in the Albemarle Sound. Instead, restrictions on gillnet use led to them losing an important part of their season.

A Dec. 17, 2025, proclamation from the North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries restricted gillnets across Management Unit A under the state’s federal permit for protecting endangered Atlantic sturgeon and sea turtles. Jamie Lane said four observed sturgeon interactions in a small-mesh fishery were extrapolated to nearly 85 estimated takes, threatening to shut the fishery down.

“Right there, a week before Christmas, there’s not a lot of other options at that time of year,” Jamie Lane said. “That’s very detrimental to your livelihood.”

This closure is part of a broader dispute over whether North Carolina’s Atlantic sturgeon population has recovered enough to call for less restrictive protections. The Lanes are part of a group of commercial fishermen asking the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration to reclassify the Carolina population from endangered to threatened, arguing that sturgeon are more abundant, mortality is low and current regulations have reduced the risk from gillnets. Scientists and federal officials, however, say the population is depleted compared to historical levels, and that increases in juvenile fish or sightings by fishermen do not necessarily show that adult sturgeon have recovered.

Read the full article at CoastalReview.org

NORTH CAROLINA: NC Seafood Festival to begin Friday with DNA testing to curb imported seafood

September 29, 2026 — The 40th annual North Carolina Seafood Festival will bring crowds back to downtown Morehead City starting Friday, and organizers say they are cracking down on imported seafood.

For the first time, officials said an outside organization will conduct DNA testing on seafood cooked and sold by festival vendors. The goal is to help ensure the seafood comes from North Carolina or other U.S. states, not from other countries.

Read the full article at News 12

NORTH CAROLINA: NC appeals ruling that it mismanaged the state’s coastal fisheries

September 28, 2026 — The tug-of-war between regulators and recreational fishermen isn’t over as North Carolina has decided to appeal a judge’s ruling that the state has mismanaged its coastal fisheries.

The move comes roughly a month after a Wake County judge found that there was overwhelming evidence that the state had failed to protect and manage its fish stocks in the public interest of all North Carolinians.

In the case filed by the Coastal Conservation Association of North Carolina and dozens of other private individuals, the recreational fishermen argued that the regulators failed to adequately protect the state’s fisheries for long-term sustainability and the benefit of all residents.

But how to turn the proverbial tide while protecting the interest of all parties − recreational fishermen, commercial fishermen and the fish themselves − remains as murky as ever. The state’s decision to appeal the case drags that process out.

North Carolina to appeal judge’s ruling on failed state fisheries management

September 24, 2026 — The U.S. state of North Carolina is appealing a court ruling that found evidence “overwhelmingly” shows the state’s government failed to protect coastal fisheries.

North Carolina Attorney General Marc Bernstein filed notice of the state’s intent to appeal on 16 September, roughly a month after Judge Bryan Collins of the Wake County Superior Court determined the evidence presented in court showed the state “failed to meet its ‘obligation to manage and protect fisheries for the benefit of the general public’ as required under the public-trust doctrine.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

North Carolina appeals ruling over fisheries management

September 18, 2026 — North Carolina is appealing a judge’s ruling that the state has failed to meet its constitutional obligation to manage and protect its fisheries, extending a years-long legal battle over coastal fishery management.

Lawyers with North Carolina Attorney General Jeff Jackson’s office filed a notice of appeal Wednesday, Sept. 16, according to The Carolina Journal. The appeal challenges an August ruling from Wake County Superior Court Judge Bryan Collins that found the state had breached obligations under the public trust doctrine and two provisions of the North Carolina Constitution.

“The Order in Liability Phase affects a substantial right that would be lost, prejudiced, and/or inadequately preserved without an immediate appeal,” the state said in its one-paragraph notice.

Collins issues the 190-page ruling Aug. 17 following a trial that stretched from January to February and included roughly six weeks of evidence. In his ruling, Collins concluded that the state had failed to meet its obligation to manage and protect fisheries for the general public, keep fisheries safe from “injury, harm, or destruction for all time,” and protect harvestable fish populations for North Carolina residents.

Read the full article at National Fisherman

NORTH CAROLINA: State appeals judge’s ruling on failure to maintain NC fisheries

September 17, 2026 — The state is appealing a trial judge’s recent ruling that North Carolina government has failed to meet its constitutional obligation to maintain state fisheries.

Lawyers in state Attorney General Jeff Jackson’s office filed a notice of appeal Wednesday.

“The Order in Liability Phase affects a substantial right that would be lost, prejudiced, and/or inadequately preserved without an immediate appeal,” according to the one-paragraph notice.

Wake County Superior Court Judge Bryan Collins issued his 190-page ruling on Aug. 17, nearly six months after he conducted a trial that extended from January into February.

“On this trial record reflecting approximately six weeks of evidence, and after carefully weighing all of the evidence presented, the Court concludes, based on the preponderance of the evidence … that the State has failed to meet its ‘obligation to manage and protect fisheries for the benefit of the general public’ as required under the public-trust doctrine, failed to ‘keep fisheries safe from injury, harm, or destruction for all time’ as required under Article I, Section 38, and failed to ‘protect the harvestable fish population “for the benefit of the citizenry”’ as required under Article XIV, Section 5,” Collins wrote in an order issued Monday.

The Coastal Conservation Association of North Carolina led a group of more than 80 plaintiffs that sued the state in 2020.

“The State argues that Plaintiffs have the burden of proof and cannot carry that burden due to the substantial gaps in crucial data,” Collins wrote. “That argument is specious at best. It is the State’s duty to manage our public trust fish. The evidence is overwhelming that one of the critical aspects of that duty is to collect adequate data. The data gaps the Court has found in this case are evidence themselves of management failures by the State and not lack of evidence from Plaintiffs.”

Read the full article at The Carolina Journal

Announcing the 2027 Marine Resource Education Program Greater Atlantic Workshop

September 16, 2026 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Managment Council:

The Marine Resource Education Program (MREP) is accepting applications for the next Greater Atlantic Fisheries Science and Management Workshop, scheduled for January 11-15, 2027, in Falmouth, Massachusetts.

Created by fishermen, for fishermen, MREP offers a neutral look into regional fishery science and management. MREP’s Greater Atlantic workshop is tailored to the area. It brings commercial, charter, and recreational fishermen from North Carolina to Maine together with regional scientists and managers to learn the processes, share insights, and network. This workshop will equip you with tools to engage in the management process and participate in collaborative science.

Attending the workshop is free for anyone who fishes or works in associated fishing industries. MREP reimburses travel costs and pays for hotel lodging and meals for accepted participants.

Space is limited, and preference will be given to applications received by November 6, 2026. Accepted participants will be notified by phone and email by late November 2026.

Greater Atlantic Fisheries Science & Management Workshop
January 11-15, 2027 | Falmouth, MA
*Recommended arrival is on Sunday, January 10. The workshop will start on Monday morning and end early afternoon on Friday to allow for travel home on Friday evening.

Apply Now
General questions about the program should be directed to Sophie Swetz, MREP Greater Atlantic Program Manager, at sswetz@gmri.org or (207) 772-2321 ext. 8104.
Visit mrep.gmri.org for more information.

Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council to Meet October 6-8, 2026, in Duck, NC

September 14, 2026 — The following was released by the Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council:

The Mid-Atlantic Fishery Management Council will meet Tuesday, October 6 – Thursday, October 8, 2026, at The Sanderling in Duck, North Carolina. The meeting is open to the public, with the exception of a closed Executive Committee session, and will also be accessible via webinar. Meeting materials, webinar information, and public comment instructions are available on the October 2026 Council Meeting Page.

Major agenda items include:

  • Executive Committee: Review Ricks E Savage Award nominations (closed session); review draft deliverables for the 2027 Implementation Plan (open session).
  • Vessel Baseline Restrictions: Review evaluation of vessel baseline restrictions and consider initiating management action.
  • Scup Gear Restricted Areas: Review existing Scup Gear Restricted Areas, previous analyses, and recent project results; consider potential management action.
  • Illex Squid: Review 2027 specifications and revise as necessary; discuss Northwest Atlantic Fisheries Organization (NAFO) Illex quota issues and consider next steps.
  • Atlantic Mackerel: Review previously adopted 2027 specifications and revise as necessary.
  • Longfin Squid: Receive an overview of the recently completed Research Track stock assessment.
  • Spiny Dogfish: Review previously adopted 2027 specifications and revise as necessary.
  • Blueline Tilefish: Review recommendations from the Joint MAFMC-SAFMC Blueline Tilefish Subcommittee and consider next steps.
  • Habitat: Receive an update from NOAA Fisheries’ Greater Atlantic Regional Fisheries Office Habitat and Ecosystem Services Division on habitat-related activities of interest in the region.
  • Offshore Wind Fisheries Compensation: Receive an update on the draft design of the regional fisheries compensation fund and upcoming public comment opportunities.
  • Atlantic Large Whale Take Reduction Plan: Receive a NOAA Fisheries presentation on the scoping process for potential future modifications to the plan.
  • Business Session: Receive committee, agency, and liaison reports 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.