Saving Seafood

OREGON: USDA Announces Office of Seafood

June 11, 2026 — The following was released by the Oregon Department of Agriculture:

Oregon fishers, crabbers, clammers and shrimpers will greatly benefit from the newly established Office of Seafood, recently announced by Secretary of Agriculture Brooke Rollins in a move that signals a stronger federal commitment to support and revitalize America’s seafood Industry.

From Newport to Astoria to Coos Bay, Oregon’s fishermen drive coastal economies and help feed the nation. The Office of Seafood will ensure they have the necessary federal programs and services needed to keep their legacy and livelihood alive and remain competitive in the global market for the next generation. Oregon’s fishermen are essential to our state’s economy and America’s food supply. This effort is about putting these Fishermen First and cutting barriers through delivery of the support they need to stay competitive and profitable.

Local leaders and seafood business owners applaud USDA’s Office of Seafood with widespread support.

“The creation of the USDA Office of Seafood is exactly the kind of bold, coordinated action our fishing communities have needed for years,” said Oregon State Senator Dick Anderson representing Newport, one of Oregon’s largest fishing ports. Senator Anderson further points out the huge disparity of foreign imports that flood local markets.

Restrictions such as low catch limits, selling fishing grounds for foreign countries, inaccurate and outdated fisheries data and delayed adoption of modern technology have prohibited Oregon’s fish economy from fully realizing its huge economic potential.

“As large and important as Oregon’s fishing industry already is, we must also recognize the tremendous, untapped potential ahead of us. The Office of Seafood will keep fishermen fishing,” said Oregon State Senator Suzanne Weber.

Oregon’s seafood industry already lands hundreds of millions of pounds annually, generating more than $600 million in dockside value and supporting thousands of jobs tied to harvesting, processing, and distribution, according to NOAA Fisheries. For decades Oregon fishers have lost market share and the ability to make a family wage living due to Federal government overregulation.

“Providing sustainable food products for the people of America along with responsible natural resource stewardship for our nation will provide and nurture future generations,” said Steve Fick of Fishhawk Fisheries, who runs boats out of Astoria, on the northern Oregon coast.

Oregon’s shrimp fleet is thankful to Secretary Rollins. “USDA Office of Seafood will pave the way for our pink shrimp to be further implemented into the USDA food service programs,” said Nick Edwards, from Jordani Pink Shrimp Fishery, Coos Bay, Or, who operates the second largest pink shrimp fishery in Oregon.

That’s where the Office of Seafood comes in. The initiative marks a new era where Oregon, and American fishermen will be recognized by USDA as key part of the U.S. food supply that supports rural and coastal communities. The office will focus on infrastructure, marketing and trade, workforce development, and stronger risk management and disaster assistance.

Pacific Seafood, one of Oregon’s largest seafood processors, is excited about the Office of Seafood. “We are thrilled about this opportunity that will give West Coast seafood communities a stronger voice and help connect local harvesters and producers to the families and students who rely on nutritious high-quality food,” said Bella Johnson, Pacific Seafoods Spokesperson.

Standing up an Office of Seafood supports existing tools already available to producers of farm-raised fish through USDA’s Farm Service Agency, including farm loans for equipment and operations, the Emergency Assistance for Livestock, Honeybees, and Farm-Raised Fish, the Noninsured Crop Disaster Assistance Program offering risk management and disaster recovery, and the Farm Storage Facility Loan Program to support critical cold storage infrastructure. In addition, the Office of Seafood is leading coordinated interagency efforts to reduce regulatory hurdles faced by American seafood producers, and leading efforts to discover and implement new practices that promote strong coastal communities.

With USDA working alongside Interior, Commerce, and Health and Human Services, this coordinated approach delivers the kind of support Oregon’s fisherman have long needed, and deserve, bringing a holistic approach to federal government support that is much needed and long overdue.

 

Oregon sets Feb. 1 as re-opening date for commercial crabbing

January 28, 2019 — The Department of Fish and Wildlife in the US state of Oregon (ODFW) on Thursday announced that it would allow the commercial Dungeness crab season to begin on the coast from Cape Arago to the California border on Feb. 1.

State officials closed the area in October due to concerns about a high level of the marine biotoxin domoic acid, which can cause minor to severe illness and even death in humans. ODFW said it took samples from the southern portion of the area and found levels of the toxin elevated in the viscera (guts) of the crab. As a result, all crab harvested from south of Cape Blanco along the west coast will be required to have their viscera removed by a licensed processor prior to sale.

Read the full story at Undercurrent News

Strong Management Safeguards Oregon’s Valuable Dungeness Crab Fishery

January 25, 2018 — SEAFOOD NEWS — Oregon’s most valuable commercial fishery for the state’s official crustacean, Dungeness crab, got underway north of Cape Blanco this week. While storms and price negotiations kept fishermen docked for awhile after the official opening, processors are expecting large deliveries soon.

A major reason Dungeness crab deliveries are large and that it’s the state’s official crustacean is due to successful management.

Dungeness crab have been harvested commercially along the Pacific Coast since the late 1800s. Current regulations allow only male crabs larger than 6 ¼ inches across the back of the shell to be taken. This protects the female and undersized male crabs that constitute the breeding population and produce the next generation of crab to be harvested in about four years, ensuring the sustainability of the overall stock and the industry.

This regulatory approach is working, according to an Oregon Department of Fish and Wildlife press release. Preliminary results from a NOAA study show the population of legal-size males appears to be stable to increasing on the West Coast. Harvest rates are also stable to increasing. Last season’s ex-vessel value set a record of $62.7 million, with landings totaling 20 million pounds, 22 percent above the 10-year average, the statement said.

Washington and California have similar management structures.

State natural resource agencies in Oregon, Washington and California cooperate as part of what’s known as the Tri-State Agreement. They jointly set a season opening date for the area from Point Arena, Calif. to Grays Harbor, Wash., or divide it into two areas with different opening dates. This helps ensure the fishery is fair and certain areas aren’t over-targeted while others are closed.

While domoic acid did not play a role in this year’s delayed opening for the northern area, the fishery south of Cape Blanco remains closed because at least some crab are still above the domoic acid action level. Toxins present an ongoing concern for the state and the industry, and Oregon has a monitoring and response system in place for shellfish to protect public health and manage the risk of contamination. The Oregon Department of Agriculture oversees the collection and testing of shellfish samples. Crabs are sampled every two to four weeks when toxins are above a certain level in razor clams or another indicator species.

Since the first ever in-season commercial closure of a harvest area last year, when a single crab’s viscera tested too high for domoic acid, ODFW, ODA and the industry have adopted new rules to improve traceability in the market chain, resulting in better preparation and response to future domoic acid events.

Efforts to reduce commercial crabbing’s impact on the environment and other marine species are also underway. Since 2014, a derelict gear removal program collecting abandoned crab pots or other equipment has been in place. Commercial crabbers removed 957 old pots from the ocean in 2017 alone. A collaborative working group involving industry, agencies, and conservation organizations is also looking at ways to modify gear and other measures to reduce the risk of whale entanglements.

“We’re looking forward to many more years of a successful commercial crab industry and sustainable resource in Oregon,” ODFW state fishery program leader Troy Buell said in the statement.

This story originally appeared on Seafoodnews.com, a subscription site. It is reprinted with permission.