Saving Seafood

NOAA eyes potential changes to Alaska sea lion protections as Trump urges boosted seafood harvests

July 6, 2026 — Federal regulators plan to reevaluate fishing closure boundaries established to protect endangered Steller sea lions in Alaska, part of a national Trump administration push to cut regulation of U.S. commercial seafood harvests.

The Steller sea lion protections are among a series of rules that the administration is seeking to relax or change to carry out a mandate from President Donald Trump to increase catches, reduce regulation and ensure that the nation is “the world’s dominant seafood leader.”

The recommended changes were released on Thursday by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration’s Fisheries service and are in response to Trump’s 2025 executive order titled “Restoring American Seafood Competitiveness.” They could affect oceans from New England and the Caribbean to the tropical Pacific and the Bering Sea.

Several months of public consultations resulted in a list of recommendations that “we believe will reduce burdens on domestic fishing, increase production, stabilize markets, improve access, and enhance economic profitability,” NOAA Fisheries Assistant Administrator Eugenio Piñeiro Soler said in a statement.

Read the full article at Alaska Public Media

Scientists tag Pacific cod to track climate shifts in the Bering Sea

June 24, 2026 — NOAA Fisheries scientists have completed a multi-year satellite tagging study of Pacific cod in the Bering Sea, shedding new light on how the species responds to warming ocean conditions and what those movements mean for fisheries management.

The study, launched in 2019 and led by Dr. Susanne McDermott of the Alaska Fisheries Science Center, was prompted by a dramatic northward shift in Pacific cod distribution that began in 2017, when the Bering Sea entered a period of unprecedented warming and sharply reduced sea ice. Pacific cod support Alaska’s second largest groundfish fishery and play a central role in the broader Bering Sea ecosystem.

“There was tremendous anxiety over what’s going on,” said McDermott. “Why are these fish in different places? Is this something that’s changing on a population level? Is this just the same population moving into different areas?”

To find answers, the research team — which also included fisheries biologists Julie Nielsen and Kimberly Rand — deployed pop-up satellite archival tags on cod in both summer and winter. The tags recorded depth, water temperature, light levels, and acceleration at intervals as short as one second, and transmitted that data to the Argos satellite network after detaching from the fish and surfacing. Tags that were physically recovered — returned by fishermen or beachcombers — yielded the full, unabridged dataset.

Read the full article at National Fisherman

Tagged and Tracked: Mapping the Journeys of Pacific Cod in the Bering Sea

June 16, 2026 — Pacific cod support Alaska’s second largest groundfish fishery and play a critical role in the Bering Sea ecosystem. In recent decades—particularly from 2017 to 2019—the Bering Sea experienced unusually warm temperatures and minimal sea ice. These conditions appear to have shifted Pacific cod distributions farther north compared to colder years, raising questions about long-term changes in population distribution and demographic structure.

Understanding a Shifting Species

In response to industry concerns and scientific data needs to support management, a research team launched a satellite tagging study in 2019. Led by Dr. Susanne McDermott—the Gulf of Alaska bottom trawl survey lead—the team included fisheries biologists Julie Nielsen, Kimberly Rand, and many others. McDermott recalled, “There was tremendous anxiety over what’s going on. Why are these fish in different places? Is this something that’s changing on a population level? Is this just the same population moving into different areas?”

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

NOAA researchers use genetic tools to improve understanding of Alaska’s Pacific cod stocks

May 1, 2026 — NOAA researchers from the University of Alaska Fairbanks and Alaska BioMap have been working on identifying genetic stocks of Pacific cod in Alaska to build a cost-effective genetic database full of assessments.

Breaking the population into four stocks – Bering Sea, Gulf of Alaska, Aleutian Islands, and Pacific Coast – the assessment found that none of the four have been or are subject to overfishing threats, as measured by estimating the spawning biomass, or the number of females able to reproduce, according to a release by NOAA.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

Genetics Shines New Light on Cod Populations and Distributions in Alaska

April 6, 2026 — A team of researchers from NOAA’s Alaska Fisheries Science Center, the University of Alaska-Fairbanks, and Alaska BioMap, Inc., recently published the most comprehensive population genetic assessment of Pacific cod. Pacific cod is a commercially and ecologically important species in the North Pacific Ocean, and this study identified four distinct genetic stocks. This research provides critical, novel information for setting appropriate stock boundaries for Pacific cod. It shows that our management boundaries generally align with the genetic structure across this region.

Genetic Stock Identification with a New Cost-Effective Tool

“We were interested in using advanced genetic techniques to determine genetic differences among Pacific cod from different regions in Alaska,” said Sara Schaal, lead author of the study. “We collected samples from fish caught in known spawning grounds during the NOAA winter trawl surveys and from our fisheries partners within the Freezer Longline Coalition.”

Schaal and her colleagues first conducted whole-genome sequencing, which identified four genetically distinct stocks of Pacific cod within the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea:

  • Eastern Gulf of Alaska
  • Western Gulf of Alaska/eastern Bering Sea
  • Aleutian Islands
  • Northern Bering Sea

Results highlight significant genetic mixing between Pacific cod spawning in the western Gulf of Alaska and the eastern Bering Sea. This aligns with satellite tag studies that showed high proportions of Pacific cod movement between these two regions outside of spawning season.

The stocks identified using genetics match current management areas, except for the eastern Bering Sea and western Gulf of Alaska, which are currently managed as separate stocks. However, these data show they cannot be distinguished at the genetic level. Additionally, results clearly delineate two distinct stocks within the Gulf of Alaska—with a break between the western and eastern Gulf of Alaska. This had been suggested by previous work, but was clearly shown in this new study.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

North Pacific Fishery Management Council recommends big increase to 2026 Gulf of Alaska cod catch

February 11, 2026 — The North Pacific Fishery Management Council (NPFMC) has recommended a big increase in Gulf of Alaska (GOA) cod catch limits for 2026 and 2027.

The NPFMC’s latest action would increase the catch limit in the western and central Gulf of Alaska by 25 to 49 percent. The council’s revised recommendations would place the federal total allowable catch (TAC) for 2026 at 30,053 metric tons (MT), a significant bump from the 21,826 MT it recommended after a meeting in December. The acceptable biological catch (ABC) for the area was also increased to 41,250 MT.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

ALASKA: Pacific cod quota updated mid-season for Kodiak area fishermen

February 11, 2026 — Pacific cod fishermen in the Kodiak area and South Alaska Peninsula can now catch nearly 8 million pounds of fish during the current state-managed fishery. That’s after the Alaska Department of Fish and Game announced an updated quota last week on Feb. 5 in the middle of the 2026 season.

The guideline harvest level or quota went from 5.3 million pounds of cod ahead of the Kodiak area season opener to 7.9 million pounds on Feb. 5. That’s an almost 50% increase in the amount of fish that can be caught this season, which is split evenly between pot and jig fishermen.

Read the full article at KMXT

ALASKA: Managers OK increase in Gulf of Alaska cod harvest after shutdown delayed analysis

February 10, 2026 — In a decision that was delayed by the prolonged federal government shutdown last fall, federal fishery regulators have increased this year’s allowable harvest of Pacific cod in the Gulf of Alaska.

The approximately 37.5% increase in total allowable catch was approved by the North Pacific Fishery Management Council, the panel that oversees commercial seafood harvests in federal waters off Alaska. The new limit approved by council members on Thursday totaled 30,053 metric tons across all three designated regions of the Gulf of Alaska, up from 21,826 metric tons tentatively approved in December.

Normally, the annual harvest limits for groundfish species like pollock and Pacific cod for both the Bering Sea and the Gulf of Alaska are set at the council’s regular December meetings.

Fishery scientists lacked sufficient time to analyze data from summer surveys because of the record 43-day federal government shutdown that ended on Nov. 12, so the council then wound up using 2024 recommendations to set 2026 harvest limits.

Read the full article at Alaska Beacon

Pacific Cod Gene Expression Analysis Reveals how Changing Oceans Impact Larvae

February 9, 2026 — A new study used gene expression analysis to explore how temperature and ocean acidification affect Pacific cod larvae. Scientists discovered that larvae are equipped with genes that allow them to survive cool and acidified conditions. However, warming may cause mortality by depleting energy and triggering inflammatory responses. These mechanisms are possible links between changes in ocean conditions and the recruitment of young fish in the Gulf of Alaska Pacific cod population.

Decrease in Pacific Cod Population

Pacific cod is a highly valued commercial fishery, and cod also play a key role in the ecosystem as both predator and prey. However, cod populations in Alaska have declined in recent years. Decreased population size is likely linked to recent marine heat waves, and early life stages seem to be the most impacted. Scientists predict that marine heatwaves may be more common in the future and that ocean acidification will intensify, particularly at high latitudes.

Experiments have shown that Pacific cod are sensitive to temperature during their early life stages. Temperature influences how their eggs develop, how their bodies use energy, and how they grow and survive as larvae. We don’t know as much about the impacts of ocean acidification.

In a 2024 study at the NOAA Fisheries Alaska Fisheries Science Center, scientists raised Pacific cod from embryos to larvae at multiple temperatures (3°C, 6°C, 10°C). To examine the potential interaction between temperature and ocean acidification, they also raised them in water that replicated current ocean conditions and in more acidified conditions. This mimicked conditions projected for the end of this century. The study found that larval mortality was very high in warm water but the effect of acidification was more complex.

The effects of temperature and acidified conditions depended on the fish’s development stage. Scientists need to better understand how changing ocean conditions can affect important species like Pacific cod, and whether these species can adapt to these changes.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

New Tools Help Alaska Communities Prepare for Future Changes in Pacific Cod Distributions

January 16, 2026 — Scientists conducted a new socio-economic risk assessment, combined with statistical modeling, on the risk of coastal Alaskan fishing communities to changes in Pacific cod distributions. Their insights may help these communities prepare and adapt to these changes.

Fishing is central to life in Alaska. North Pacific fisheries, including Pacific cod, support local, state, and national economies. They strengthen cultural ties and food security in coastal communities. The economic and social benefits derived from Alaskan fisheries are deeply connected to the resilience of fishing communities facing changing environmental conditions.

Alaska’s commercial fisheries account for roughly 60 percent of the U.S. seafood harvest, and supply seafood to the United States and the globe. They also provide employment for one in seven Alaskan residents.

Communities Reliant on Pacific Cod Most at Risk

Pacific cod is one of the largest and most important commercial fisheries in the Gulf of Alaska and Eastern Bering Sea. It’s also the lifeblood and economic mainstay for many small coastal fisheries and rural communities across the state. A declining Pacific cod fishery could have significant impacts on these communities.

Alaska Fisheries Science Center scientists found that coastal communities along the southeastern Bering Sea are most vulnerable. They are at greater relative risk if Pacific cod populations shift northward in response to environmental changes. At highest relative risk were those communities within the Aleutians East Borough and Bethel Census Area. The research was conducted as part of the Alaska Climate Integrated Modeling project.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries