Saving Seafood

Revolution Wind fully operational, Ørsted reports

November 6, 2026 — Offshore wind developer Ørsted said Thursday its 704-megawatt turbine array Revolution Wind off southern New England has achieved full operation, exporting power to Connecticut and Rhode Island customers.

Located about 15 miles south of Rhode Island, the project’s 65 turbines were completed weeks before the Trump administration mounted another unsuccessful attempt in federal court to void Ørsted’s construction and operations permit.

Ørsted announced the news in a No. 5 earnings call. In a summary the Danish energy company said it “completed the installation of the remaining wind turbines at the 704 MW Revolution Wind offshore wind farm in the U.S. In October the project achieved commercial operations under its offtake contracts with utilities in the states of Connecticut and Rhode Island.”

Read the full article at WorkBoat

ASMFC 84th Annual Meeting Details, Final Agenda and Public Comment Guidelines

October 28, 2026 — The following was released by the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission:

Please find below the meeting details and public comment guidelines for the Atlantic States Marine Fisheries Commission’s 84th Annual Meeting, which will be held November 9-12, 2026, at Hotel Viking, One Bellevue Avenue, Newport, Rhode Island. This will be a hybrid meeting to allow for remote participation by Commissioners and interested stakeholders in all meetings. The room block is now closed; if you need assistance reserving a room, please contact Lisa Carty at lcarty@asmfc.org. Please also notify Lisa Carty of any changes to your travel plans that will impact your hotel reservations, otherwise you will incur no-show penalties. We greatly appreciate your cooperation.

The final agenda and meeting materials are now available at https://asmfc.org/events/2026-annual-meeting/; click on the relevant Board/Committee name to access the documents for that Board/Committee. Supplemental materials will be posted to the website on Wednesday, November 4. For ease of use, the majority of Board materials, with the exception of materials for the Atlantic Menhaden and Sciaenids Boards, have been combined into 1 document:  Main Meeting Materials. The combined documents do not include materials for ACFHP Steering Committee, Law Enforcement Committee, and the Habitat Committee.

Additionally, the materials for the Atlantic Menhaden Board have been divided into 3 parts. Part 1 includes the agenda; draft proceedings; materials for specification setting and relevant public comment; and materials for commercial quota reallocation. Part 2 includes the Draft Addendum II; Public Comment & Hearing Summaries; and submitted comment from Government Bodies, Organizations and Form Letters. Part 1 & 2 are available now. Part 3 includes all submitted individual comments and will be posted tomorrow. 

Supplemental materials will be posted to the website on Wednesday, November 4. 

Be advised the agenda is subject to change. The agenda reflects the current estimate of time required for scheduled Board meetings. The Commission may adjust this agenda in accordance with the actual duration of Board meetings. Interested parties should anticipate Boards starting earlier or later than indicated herein. At these meetings, action may be taken on any agenda item, including, but not limited to, reports from staff, technical committees, stock assessment committees, peer reviews, Law Enforcement Committee, advisory panels, plan review teams, and plan development teams.

Webinar Information

The Law Enforcement Committee, Habitat Committee and Atlantic Coast Fish Habitat Partnership Steering Committee have unique webinar links that are available as part of the individual committee materials.

Meeting proceedings for all other boards/committees will be broadcast daily via webinar beginning Monday, November 9 at 9:30 AM and continuing daily until the conclusion of the meeting (expected to be 1:15 PM) on Thursday, November 12. To register for the webinar, please go to:https://attendee.gotowebinar.com/register/4458443143765348954 (Webinar ID: 199-853-067)

If you are joining the webinar but will not be using voice over internet protocol (VoIP), you may also call in at +1 (213) 929-4212, access code 157-264-158. A PIN will be provided to you after joining the webinar. For those who will not be joining the webinar but would like to listen in to the audio portion only, press the # key when asked for a PIN.

Each day, the webinar will begin 15 minutes prior to the start of the first meeting so people can troubleshoot any connectivity or audio issues they may encounter. If you are having issues with the webinar (connecting to or audio related issues), please contact Chris Jacobs at 703.842.0790.

Meeting Process

Board chairs will ask both in-person and virtual board members if they wish to speak. In-person members can simply raise their hands at the meeting without logging on to the webinar, while virtual members will raise their hands on the webinar. The chair will work with staff to compile the list of speakers, balancing the flow of questions/comments between in-person and virtual attendees. The same process will be used for public comment. Depending upon the number of commenters, the board chair will decide how to allocate the available time on the agenda (typically 10 minutes) to the number of people who want to speak.

Getting to Newport
The Hotel Viking is accessible by automobile or airplane. T.F. Green International Airport in Providence and Boston Logan International Airport are the closest major airports. The closest Amtrak Station is located in Kingston, roughly 30-40 minutes from Hotel Viking located at 1 Railroad Avenue in West Kingston.

Fishing Tournament
Plans are well underway for the 33rd Annual Laura Leach Fishing Tournament. Everyone is invited and encouraged to participate. You will receive a T-shirt with your $20 entry fee; and 100% of the tournament proceeds will be donated to the Rhode Island Saltwater Anglers Association (RISAA) Youth Fish Camp. The tournament runs from Sunday (11/8) through noon on Wednesday (11/11); the raffle drawing and tournament prizes will be awarded Wednesday afternoon or Thursday morning.

 Public Comment Guidelines

To provide a fair opportunity for public input, the ISFMP Policy Board has approved the following guidelines for use at management board meetings:

For issues that are not on the agenda, management boards will continue to provide opportunities to the public to bring matters of concern to the board’s attention at the start of each board meeting. Board chairs will ask members of the public to raise their hands to let the chair know they would like to speak. Depending upon the number of commenters, the board chair will decide how to allocate the available time on the agenda (typically 10 minutes) to the number of people who want to speak.

For topics that are on the agenda that have not gone out for public comment, board chairs will provide limited opportunity for comment, taking into account the time allotted on the agenda for the topic. Chairs will have flexibility in deciding how to allocate comment opportunities; this could include hearing one comment in favor and one in opposition until the chair is satisfied further comments will not provide additional insight to the board.

For agenda action items that have already gone out for public comment, it is the Policy Board’s intent to end the occasional practice of allowing extensive and lengthy public comments. Currently, board chairs have the discretion to decide what public comment, if any, to allow in these circumstances.

In addition, the following timeline has been established for the submission of written comments for issues for which the Commission has NOT established a specific public comment period (i.e., in response to proposed management action).

  1. Comments received three weeks prior to the start of a meeting week (October 19) will be included in the briefing materials.
  2. Comments received by 5 PM on Tuesday, November 3 will be included in supplemental materials.
  3. Comments received by 10 AM on Friday, November 6 will be distributed electronically to Commissioners/Board members prior to the meeting.

Collaboration with Fishing Industry Contributes to Successful Longfin Squid Assessment

October 26, 2026 — Longfin squid is an economically important species that is challenging to study. Mostly caught from Rhode Island to New Jersey, it supports a commercial fishery worth approximately $32.5 million in 2024. It is often found on restaurant menus as calamari.

Longfin squid live less than a year, grow rapidly, and the number of young entering the population is highly variable. Their populations are influenced by dynamic ocean conditions, leading to shifts in abundance and distribution that are challenging to understand or predict. Longfin squid migrate with the seasons, generally moving south and offshore in the late fall and returning north and inshore during the spring. Scientific surveys capture seasonal snapshots of the population but they cannot provide specifics about the squid caught in the fishery.

Successful Research Track Peer Review

In August 2026, an independent panel of scientists completed the peer review for the Longfin Inshore Squid Research Track Assessment. The panel approved two new assessment models—both of which met all required Terms of Reference and were deemed suitable for management advice. These models mark a significant technical advancement over past index-based approaches. They are better able to capture the rapid growth, seasonal changes in abundance, and unique biology of this short-lived species.

This major accomplishment for a historically data-poor species was possible because of strong collaboration between scientists and commercial fishing industry partners. Having a better foundational understanding of longfin squid life history, as well as two distinct and credible models, gives managers greater flexibility and confidence in using the best available science. The review marks an important milestone in the multi-year effort to improve our understanding of longfin squid and develop better tools to assess the stock. The findings will be implemented during the upcoming Longfin Squid Management Track Assessment this fall.

We combined analytical expertise of scientists with on-the-water knowledge of fishermen who encounter this species throughout the year, making great strides together toward better understanding this economically important and enigmatic species.

“The foundation of trust and collaboration between the science and fishing communities was critical to the scientific progress made during the longfin squid assessment. From sharing ecological observations to collecting data to providing input on model assumptions and outputs, industry partners played a critical role in all phases of the assessment,” shared Dr. Anna Mercer, chief of the center’s Northeast Cooperative Research branch.

The goals of the collaboration are:

  • Better science for sustainable management
  • Better information to support decisions about how much seafood can make its way from the ocean to our tables

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries

URI to join State Department grant to help feed the future in fisheries

October 23, 2026 — A University of Rhode Island professor with a global portfolio of work and a marine research associate in URI’s Coastal Institute are joining a multi-million dollar project funded by the U.S. Department of State, utilizing their expertise in international fisheries.

Professor Austin Humphries, Chair of URI’s Department of Fisheries, Animal and Veterinary Sciences, and Lauren Josephs M’17 in the University’s Graduate School of Oceanography are part of a team recently awarded a State Department grant in a project being led by Mississippi State University. The award is up to five years with up to $8 million in the first year.

A fisheries scientist, Humphries studies how ocean health and human well-being are linked. He’s led interdisciplinary research across Africa, Southeast Asia, and the Pacific. His research programs have attracted more than $150 million in collaborative funding. He and Josephs are teaming up to implement research that engages policy-makers to curb illegal fishing.

Humphries will lead the marine fisheries component of the project, as part of MSU’s Feed the Future Innovation Lab for Fish to advance research and innovation that strengthens global aquatic food systems while creating benefits for U.S. agriculture, industry, and food security. The project will be managed by MSU’s Global Center for Aquatic Health and Food Security and builds on the previous Fish Innovation Lab, which supported multidisciplinary research in 10 countries.

The new Fish Innovation Lab will focus on solutions that can move from development to practice, including opportunities to open international markets for U.S. products and technologies, and strengthen the protection of U.S. aquaculture from emerging disease and biosecurity threats.

Read the full article at The University of Rhode Island

 

Haunting clues emerge in 7-year fishing boat mystery after wreckage found off island

October 14, 2026 — An organization believes it has found the wreckage of a fishing boat that sank over seven years ago — potentially solving a mystery surrounding the deaths of two fishermen.

Green Oceans, a Rhode Island-based environmental organization, announced the discovery of what it believes is the F/V Mistress in the waters off Block Island in September.

The vessel sank Jan. 1, 2019, according to the organization.

Two fishermen died in the incident, and the U.S. Coast Guard searched for the vessel following the sinking but never located the wreckage.

The F/V Mistress was discovered approximately 92 feet underwater, just 50 feet from the base of a wind turbine at the Block Island Wind Farm, according to Green Oceans.

Read the full article at Fox News

Trump Administration Asks Court to Let It Re-Evaluate Revolution Wind’s COP

October 14, 2026 — The Trump administration is renewing its challenges to Ørsted’s offshore wind farm, Revolution Wind, located off the coast of Rhode Island. The Department of Justice is asking a District Court in the District of Columbia to remand its prior approval of the construction and operations plan (“COP”) for further review on a project that has completed construction and is in the final stages of commissioning.

It marks the third time the Trump administration has challenged the 704 MW wind farm project, which is contracted to supply power to Connecticut and Rhode Island. In August 2025, it sought to stop construction while the project was approximately 80 percent complete, but it was rejected by the courts. In December 2025, the administration included Revolution Wind in its stop-work orders, this time contending the operations posed a risk to national security due to the potential for radar interference. The courts again rejected the stop-work order and let the project resume construction in January 2026.

The Department of Justice made its new filing in a case being pursued by an environmental group that has been challenging the project in the courts for years. Green Ocean has been suing the Department of the Interior and Revolution Wind, contending the project would cause harm to the environment.

The new filing made on October 9 asked the court to grant Green Ocean a summary judgment on its claims against the National Marine Fisheries Service and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, related to the approval of the project. Further, it says the Department of the Interior agrees that remand of its prior approval of the construction and operations plan (COP) for the Revolution Wind Project is warranted so that the agency can reevaluate its compliance with the Outer Continental Shelf Lands Act.

Read the full article at The Maritime Executive

The fear factor: How blue crab fishing could reshape a salt marsh

October 13, 2026 — Fear changes behavior. For a ribbed mussel clinging to a New England salt marsh, the presence of a blue crab nearby can mean eating less and holding tighter to the marsh platform, bracing for danger. The crab doesn’t even have to attack.

That response — what scientists call a “fear effect” — is at the heart of research by University of Rhode Island graduate student Maja Nielsen. A master’s student in URI’s Biological and Environmental Sciences program working with Assistant Professor of Watershed Ecology Shelby Rinehart, Nielsen is studying whether fishing-driven shifts change how ribbed mussels respond to the threat of predation.

Predators shape prey populations in two ways, she explains: by eating them or by scaring them. “There’s some evidence that the fear effect may be even more important in determining ecosystem functions than the consumptive effect,” she said, “because predators can scare a lot more prey than they can eat.”

Blue crabs are not intentionally bullying mussels. Rather, ribbed mussels detect subtle shifts in the chemical compounds crabs release after feeding, triggering a fear response that changes their behavior.

Read the full article at the University of Rhode Island

Opinion: Reopen the investigation of the F/V Mistress

October 1, 2026 — The fishing vessel Mistress sank in the early hours of Jan. 1, 2019. Two of its three crew members were lost. More than seven years later, a private dive team documented a wreck believed to be the Mistress, roughly 50 feet from Turbine 1 at the Block Island Wind Farm.

That location deserves attention. In its mayday call, the crew said the vessel was “right below the Block Island Wind Farm.” A Coast Guard helicopter searched near the coordinates of the final distress signal but then abandoned a hover search after about half an hour amid poor visibility, low clouds, “windmills,” and high winds.

The team making the recent discovery used the mayday coordinates, the Coast Guard’s investigative report, and rumored accounts from mariners and divers to narrow its search. Side-scan sonar revealed wreckage just east of Turbine 1. Divers documented features and equipment that match photographs of the Mistress in the Coast Guard report. They also found what appear to be human remains among the wheelhouse debris.

The wreck was not the first indication of boat debris near the turbine. A BOEM-sponsored survey reported seeing “partial boat debris (e.g., paneling from a small boat hull)” around Turbine 1 in 2019, although it claims no footage was obtained. Why was that observation apparently never connected to the loss of the Mistress?

The new sonar image also shows a maintenance barge beside the turbine, with its legs or “spuds” planted close to the wreckage. Given the recurring maintenance activity at Turbine 1 since 2019, investigators should determine what seabed checks were performed, what operators observed, and whether earlier work disturbed the site.

Read the full article at The New Bedford Light

Wind farms and rescue helicopters don’t mix, fishermen warned years ago. They were right

September 30, 2026 — An expedition team this week identified the wreck of the Mistress, a fishing vessel that sank next to a wind farm off the coast of Rhode Island on Jan. 1, 2019, taking with it the captain and his nephew.

The discovery of the long-missing trawler and the remains of the two fishermen prompted demands for a federal investigation into whether the wind farm operator, Orsted, discovered the wreck years ago and kept it quiet.

The Mistress wreck has also revived calls to examine the safety risks associated with offshore wind turbines that, when positioned closely together, can make it virtually impossible for the U.S. Coast Guard to conduct nighttime rescues of distressed vessels, particularly in stormy weather.

The exact cause of the Mistress’ sinking hasn’t been determined.

There is no evidence the ship struck the easternmost turbine of the Block Island Wind Farm, where a private diving crew recently identified the sunken boat.

But the turbines forced the Coast Guard to abandon their rescue attempt in the early morning hours of Jan. 1, 2019, when the Mistress had taken on water during a sudden storm and the captain issued a mayday call.

“They had a helicopter there, and they had to let it go,” said John Ansay, whose son, John Ansay Jr., went down with the Mistress two days after his 31st birthday.

Read the full article at The Washington Times

Offshore wind job training built for a boom is facing down a bust

September 22, 2026 — This story was produced by The Hechinger Report, a nonprofit, independent news organization focused on inequality and innovation in education. ​

A former Navy sailor and union laborer from Local 1298 on Long Island, William “Billy” Bishop jumped at the chance to work on the water again when he learned two years ago about job opportunities on offshore wind construction projects.

After earning a safety certification from the National Offshore Wind Training Center — a collaboration between Long Island’s Suffolk County Community College, the Long Island Federation of Labor, and multinational wind farm developer Orsted — Bishop worked on a wind farm near Rhode Island. Now he’s doing structural inspections and maintenance on Sunrise Wind, which is under construction off the coast of Long Island in New York.

But the Trump administration’s efforts to crush offshore wind projects, part of its broader assault on clean energy, have created deep uncertainty for training programs like NOWTC and workers like Bishop.

“I would definitely do this forever, and I’ve looked into it since getting the job. But I see contracts are falling through nonstop now in America,” said Bishop. “This might be the last one for a while.”

In 2021, the Biden administration set a target to generate 30 gigawatts of offshore wind power by the end of the decade, starting from almost zero, which jump-started a massive effort to train people for jobs in the industry. That rapid ramp-up would have required an estimated 77,000 workers — to build the wind farms, connect the turbines to the grid, operate and maintain the facilities, manufacture the rugged steel components, and more.

Read the full article at Grist