Saving Seafood

NOAA gathering input on restoring U.S. seafood competitiveness

September 4, 2025 — The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Association (NOAA) is gathering input from the public on the White House executive order entitled “Restoring America’s Seafood Competitiveness.”

The association is inviting feedback from fishing industry members, technology experts, marine scientists, other relevant parties, and members of the public on priority needs such as fishery-related barriers, fisheries management, and science, NOAA said in a public statement.

The executive order, which was published in April 2025, said, “Seafood is one of the most heavily regulated sectors in the United States. Federal overregulation has restricted fishermen from productively harvesting [U.S.] seafood, including through restrictive catch limits, selling our fishing grounds to foreign offshore wind companies, inaccurate and outdated fisheries data, and delayed adoption of modern technology.”

Read the full article at Aquaculture North America

Healthy fishermen for a healthy America‬

July 21, 2025 — The America First Seafood Strategy put forth in President Trump’s “Restoring America’s Seafood Competitiveness” executive order offers a promising vision for the economic resurgence of our fisheries, but first we must prioritize the wellbeing of the very people who can make that vision a reality: our commercial fishermen.

The shuttering of the National Institute of Occupational Safety and Health (NIOSH) Center for Maritime Safety and Health, coupled with the proposed elimination of its vital research and training funds in the 2026 Health and Human Services (HHS) budget, represents a dangerous misstep in the pursuit of a healthier nation.

For 40 years, NIOSH’s targeted prevention efforts have succeeded in dramatically improving the safety record of one of the nation’s most dangerous occupations. The data speaks for itself: Commercial fishing fatalities have been slashed by more than 80 percent since these initiatives began.

This isn’t just a matter of saving lives; it’s a sound investment as well as a Coast Guard requirement for many fisheries in order to leave the dock. For every dollar spent on NIOSH’s work, the return is millions in saved costs — from preventing expensive Coast Guard rescue operations to reduced burdens on the healthcare and insurance systems (not to mention our families and communities) for work-related injuries and deaths.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman