Saving Seafood

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.

NOAA proposal could change protections for NC right whales, turtles

September 11, 2026 — In a move that could have dramatic impacts on the ocean, the federal government wants to remove some protections and modify others for a host of marine life − including sea turtles and North Atlantic right whales off the North Carolina coast − to help revitalize the American seafood industry.

Calling the layers of bureaucracy and red tape commercial fishermen now have to navigate unwieldy and economic anchors, the Trump administration wants to cut back rules and regulations fishermen have to follow to protect endangered species and open protected marine areas to fishing.

But environmentalists and biologists fear the moves could seriously hurt some marine species that are teetering on the edge of extinction or only now showing signs of recovery after decades of recovery efforts.

Read the full article at USA TODAY

NORTH CAROLINA: Continued blue crab declines, mixed signals for other N.C. fisheries in 2025

September 11, 2026 — Fisheries regulators say commercial blue crab landings in North Carolina declined again in 2025 and surveys continued to find low juvenile abundance, while the latest monitoring produced less definitive signals for southern flounder, speckled trout and striped mullet.

The findings are contained in the 677-page North Carolina Division of Marine Fisheries 2025 Fishery Management Plan Review that was released Friday.

The annual report covers 12 species or groups managed under state plans, 21 managed by federal councils or the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission and two managed through state Marine Fisheries Commission rules.

The document is not a single new stock assessment.

Rather, it compiles commercial and recreational fishing information, standardized field surveys, biological samples and previously completed stock assessments.

Most of the monitoring data were collected during 2025, but some of the stock-status determinations are based on assessments with data ending several years earlier.

Read the full article at Island Free Press

ALASKA: Seagrant launches Alaska Oyster Voyage interactive map and logging tool to encourage oyster consumption

September 5, 2026 — University of Alaska Fairbanks-based Alaska Sea Grant launched the Alaska Oyster Voyage this summer, encouraging patrons to both taste and log different oysters across the state from varying vendors.

The program is in partnership with the Alaska Shellfish Growers Association. The two organizations created a digital “Alaska Oyster Trail” that’s interactive for users to navigate guided oyster farm tours, raw bars, and oyster vendors – similar to projects done in Maine and North Carolina.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

NOAA plans $64 million rebuild of historic Beaufort laboratory

September 3, 2026 — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) will use $64 million in federal disaster funding to rebuild its historic Beaufort Laboratory after hurricane-related structural damage forced the facility to close permanently for safety reasons.

The project will be funded through the 2025 Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act, with design and preconstruction work expected to begin in early 2027. The new laboratory on Pivers Island will be built above the floodplain and designed to withstand future storms and flooding.

The Beaufort Laboratory was established in 1899 and moved to Pivers Island in 1902. It is the nation’s second-oldest federal marine science laboratory and predates NOAA by more than 70 years.

The main laboratory building being replaced was 62 years old and housed most of the laboratory space on the campus, along with offices for about half of the lab’s staff. The building was permanently closed in 2024 after a routine inspection identified foundational damage that made continued occupancy unsafe.

Republican US Rep. Greg Murphy, whose 3rd Congressional District includes Beaufort and Carteret County, said he had advocated for the reconstruction of the facility since it was damaged.

Read the full article at The Carolina Journal

NOAA to rebuild historic science lab in Beaufort, North Carolina

August 28, 2026 — Today, NOAA announced plans to fund the reconstruction of a new laboratory in Beaufort, North Carolina. This new lab will replace the former building that was permanently closed in 2024 due to significant hurricane-related structural damage. The project will be funded using $64 million from the 2025 Disaster Relief Supplemental Appropriations Act. Design and preconstruction work is expected to begin in early 2027.

Established in 1899, the NOAA Beaufort Laboratory is the nation’s second-oldest federal marine science laboratory, predating NOAA by more than 70 years. Following a routine inspection, NOAA determined the laboratory sustained foundational damage that made building occupancy unsafe. The new facility will be built above the floodplain and designed to withstand storm and flooding events.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

NORTH CAROLINA: Bronze statue ‘Samuel’ unveiled at Beaufort park honors Black menhaden fishermen legacy

August 27, 2026 — A new bronze statue along the Beaufort waterfront is helping preserve a key part of the town’s commercial fishing history.

The statue, named “Samuel,” was recently unveiled at John Newton Park.

It honors the thousands of Black menhaden fishermen who helped build Beaufort’s fishing industry and shape the community once known as “Fishtown.”

“Samuel is bringing a face to those individuals that have worked hard to contribute to Beaufort. More than just what they did on the water or in the processing plant, it helps you see them as people.”

After the Civil War, menhaden became a major part of the local economy.

Read the full article at ABC News 12