Saving Seafood

Sullivan’s trawl bycatch bill clears a U.S. Senate committee

September 17, 2026 — A bill that aims to reduce the pollock fleet’s bycatch of salmon, halibut and other species passed the U.S. Senate Commerce Committee Wednesday.

Sen. Dan Sullivan is the sponsor of the Bycatch Reduction Act. He said it would tell the North Pacific Fisheries Management Council to change how it treats the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska trawlers, to limit their impact on the marine environment.

“This sets out timelines. It sets out standards,” he said in a phone interview. “It sets out direct action to reduce bycatch, to limit — and, in many ways, do away with — trawl gear contact with the seafloor, and setting clearer standards.”

The bill also reconstitutes a group from a 2022 Sullivan bill, the Alaska Salmon Research Task Force Act. Sullivan said it will give Alaskans a direct say in what the federal government studies.

Read the full article at Alaska Public Media

ALASKA: Begich, Hill tackle bycatch and seafood economy

September 17, 2026 — Bycatch, struggling salmon runs, and how to keep more fisheries value in Alaska dominated the U.S. House fisheries debate between Rep. Nick Begich and independent challenger Bill Hill.

The two candidates met Sept. 12 in Kodiak during the 2026 Congressional Candidates Fisheries Forum, hosted by the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce and KMXT Public Radio. The forum has focused exclusively on fisheries issues for more than three decades, according to organizers.

Begich and Hill found common ground on several issues facing Alaska’s commercial fishing industry, including fisheries science, seafood promotion, processing labor, and the need to reduce bycatch.

But their answers also showed different approaches to how Washington should address those problems.

Read the full article at the National Fisherman 

ALASKA: Expect the unexpected: An evaluation of climate impacts on Alaskan fisheries

September 17, 2026 — Like a rampant rumor, word of low catch traveled through the Sitka Sound fleet. It was, to most local fishermen, the worst king salmon opener they had ever experienced. And it should be, to all, absolutely terrifying.

Knowledge accumulated from decades of commercial and subsistence fishing proved futile as salmon simply could not be found. Empty hooks despite weeks of work deeply affect the livelihoods and well-being of individuals, communities, and local industries.

Working as a deckhand with longtime Sitka fisherman and conservationist Eric Jordan, I heard the solemn word “dystopic” muttered more than a few times. It is the profound uncertainty of what future years will bring – a new degree of variability and unpredictability in the ocean ecosystem – that paints a distressing picture for Alaska’s fisheries.

This past spring semester, I studied aquatic community dynamics in Iceland, where professors, researchers, and marine experts discussed impacts of increasing climatic and oceanic instability. A central concern is the weakening of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation, or AMOC, a system of global ocean currents regulated by salinity and temperature. In a report released this year, the Icelandic Meteorological Office predicts that a collapse of this current system may be approaching sooner than previously thought.

Read the full article at National Fisherman

US House committee advances bill expanding culling of salmon-eating seals and sea lions

September 16, 2026 — The U.S. House Natural Resources Committee has approved a bill that would allow the state of Washington and area Tribes to kill more seals and sea lions that prey upon recovering salmon populations.

“I am pleased the House Natural Resources Committee voted in a bipartisan manner to advance my bill,” U.S. Representative Michael Baumgartner (R-Washington) said in a release. “This bill, born in collaboration with many of the Tribes in Washington who have federally recognized treaty fishing rights, is an important step in the right direction to protect salmon populations in the Pacific Northwest. I look forward to continued bipartisanship as we work to get it signed into law before the end of this Congress.”

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

ALASKA: Peltola and Sullivan confront trawl bycatch, and each other, at Kodiak fisheries debate

September 15, 2026 — Republican U.S. Sen. Dan Sullivan and Democratic challenger Mary Peltola vied to outdo each other as champions of Alaska fishermen at the Kodiak Chamber of Commerce fishery debate Saturday.

The debate sponsors included major players in the pollock industry, but that didn’t stop both candidates from vowing to crack down on the trawlers’ bycatch of salmon and other species.

Sullivan leaned into his record.

“My bill for establishment of the Seafood Policy Office is in the Farm Bill right now. That helps with regard to enabling fishermen to have access to all the programs that farmers have,” he said. “And finally, getting my bycatch bill over the goal line next week in the Commerce Committee.”

(Sullivan’s Bycatch Reduction Act, filed in June, is scheduled for a vote in the Commerce Committee on Wednesday. He is the sole sponsor.)

Sullivan repeatedly pointed to foreign fleets as an adversary he’s tackled, and said he secured a ban on Russian seafood imports.

Read the full article at Alaska Public Media

MASSACHUSETTS: ‘Flat is Back’ campaign hopes to put flounder back on people’s plates

September 15, 2026 — Aperol spritzes. Dubai chocolate. Dill pickle, well, everything. Thanks to Instagram and TikTok, food trends have never been more of-the-moment, with even seemingly mundane ingredients like cottage cheese enjoying a sudden resurgence.

Why not the flounder? The first-of-its-kind “Flat is Back” campaign, spearheaded by the Massachusetts Division of Marine Fisheries, aims to build buzz around the plentiful yet underutilized flatfish called flounder, better connecting what fishermen already catch to what ends up on consumers’ plates. The hoped-for result would be a more economically and environmentally sustainable fisheries model, MassDMF Director Dan McKiernan — one he plans to replicate for all kinds of underappreciated fish.

But first, customers have to bite.

In 2023, over three-fourths of all seafood Americans consumed came from just 10 species, with shrimp, salmon, and canned tuna topping the list. In general, American diners tend to consume fewer species of fish than Europeans and Asians, McKiernan said. That can drive up demand for a few key species while leaving plenty of other fish in the sea.

Cod, for example, remains one of the most popular catches, even after its numbers have drastically declined. Flounder, on the other hand, is abundant and cheap.

“We hope that this program can help people get an appreciation for some of the other species of fish, so that seafood can be, surprisingly, fun,” McKiernan said.

Read the full article at The New Bedford Light

ASC and SFP lead Aquaculture Action Alliance into new phase

September 15, 2026 — The following was released by the Sustainable Fisheries Partnership:

Utrecht, the Netherlands – Aquaculture Stewardship Council (ASC) and Sustainable Fisheries Partnership (SFP) are driving the next phase of the Aquaculture Action Alliance, with the organisations jointly taking on the role of interim secretariat to support the next chapter in the Alliance’s growth.

The Alliance was formerly hosted by IDH – the Sustainable Trade Initiative, as the Aquaculture Working Group. This move marks a new chapter for the coalition, with a stronger focus on coordinated action, broader participation and measurable actions to reduce aquaculture’s environmental footprint.

The Alliance met in advance of the recent Global Shrimp Forum in Utrecht to bring together members to discuss ongoing efforts and progress for credibly measuring and reducing emissions and strengthening the sustainability of aquaculture.

A Call to the Aquaculture Sector

The Alliance is now seeking additional participation from like-minded companies from feed production to retail who share a commitment to drive long-term progress in aquaculture through improvement and sustainability solutions across the supply chain.

Jill Swasey, Director of Impacts, Monitoring & Evaluation at ASC, said, “Aquaculture has tremendous potential to be part of the solution to global food and environmental challenges. The Aquaculture Action Alliance provides an important space for companies to align approaches, share knowledge and identify where collective action can have the greatest impact.”

Braddock Spear, SFP Prospecting and Outreach Director, said, “By working together, leading seafood companies can increase their impact and support for best practices and state-of-the-art solutions. For aquaculture companies looking to compete on reducing carbon footprints, there is no better option than being part of the Aquaculture Action Alliance.”

Established in 2021, the Alliance has developed tools and approaches to help companies measure carbon, water, nitrogen and phosphorus footprints across aquaculture supply chains. In 2026, the focus is shifting from measurement towards coordinated action, supported by three working groups focused on carbon foot printing, priority actions and establishing the Alliance as an independent entity.

Dominique Gautier, Alliance Chair and Director of Sustainability at Seafresh Group, said, “The Alliance achieved a major milestone in 2026. Underpinned by stronger governance and wider ambitions, we are expanding our focus on what actions we, as leading companies, need to take to reduce aquaculture’s carbon footprint.”

Elena Piana, Steering Committee member and Group Sustainability Manager at Regal Springs, said, “Many of the current Alliance members are focused on farmed shrimp and feed supply chains. To clearly establish the aquaculture sector as the leading low-carbon protein provider, we also need more participation from companies producing and trading in other commodities such as salmon and tilapia.”

Feed companies are critical members in the Alliance, given the central role feed plays in the environmental footprint of farmed seafood and its relevance across multiple aquaculture species and supply chains.

Björn Kok, Steering Committee member and Technical Lead Sustainability Metrics at Skretting, said, “Feed companies can play an essential role at improving the sustainability of aquaculture supply chains. The Alliance needs more of these companies at the table to align sustainability metrics and methodology to facilitate implementation of lasting solutions.”

This re-launch of the Alliance is focused on growth and establishing new priorities for turning sustainability commitment into action. ASC and SFP welcome companies across the aquaculture supply chain and interested organisations to join the Alliance and contribute to practical, sector-wide solutions for lower-carbon aquaculture.

For more information or to explore membership of the Aquaculture Action Alliance, contact AquaAlliance@asc-aqua.org for ASC or aquaalliance@sustainablefish.org for SFP.

ASMI partners with Alzheimer’s Resource Alaska to encourage seafood consumption

September 15, 2026 — The Alaska Seafood Marketing Institute (ASMI) has announced a partnership with Alzheimer’s Resource Alaska, linking the nutrients found in Alaskan seafood products to positive, long-term brain health.

In a recent article for Senior Voice – a publication for Alaskans aged 50 and older – Alzheimer’s Resource Alaska CEO Lisa Sauder authored an article titled “Caring for Your Brain in Alaska’s Busy Season.” In that piece, Sauder pointed to Alaskan seafood such as salmon, sablefish, herring, rockfish, and cod as being “powerful brain foods” with high levels of omega-3s. Those nutrients have been found to reduce brain inflammation, support nerve cell function, and lower the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, depression, and general cognitive decline, she claimed.

Read the full article at SeafoodSource

More than $100 million in habitat funding targets key US fisheries

September 14, 2026 — NOAA Fisheries is directing $103 million toward habitat restoration projects across the country, with several of the largest awards aimed at improving habitat for commercially important salmon, shrimp, oysters, and other species.

The agency announced Sept. 10 that it selected 16 projects for funding, ranging from salmon habitat work in Alaska and the Pacific Northwest to salt marsh restoration along the Gulf and Southeast coasts.

The funding is intended to restore wetlands, rivers, coral reefs, and other habitats fish rely on for feeding, spawning, and growth. NOAA said healthy habitat is essential to sustaining both commercial and recreational fisheries and the communities and industries that depend on them.

Demand for funding far exceeded what was available. NOAA received nearly 350 proposals requesting a combined $1.5 billion, more than 17 times the amount ultimately awarded.

Read the full article at National Fisherman

$103 Million in NOAA Funding Awarded to Restore Habitat for Fisheries

September 11, 2026 — NOAA Fisheries has awarded $103 million in funding for 16 habitat restoration projects across the country. These projects will recover and sustain our nation’s fisheries by ensuring fish have access to high quality habitat.

By supporting America’s fisheries, these projects will “Make America Beautiful Again” through proactive, voluntary, on-the-ground collaborative conservation efforts. America’s abundant natural resources—including valuable commercial and recreational fisheries—are vital to our nation’s economy and culture, bolstering industries, jobs, recreation, and more.

Fisheries rely on healthy habitats like wetlands, rivers, and coral reefs as important areas to grow, eat, and reproduce. These projects will restore healthy habitat for fish across the country: from planting corals to rebuild reefs in the Caribbean, to reconnecting rivers for salmon, to restoring salt marsh for shrimp and oysters in the Gulf of America.

NOAA received many more applications than we could fund. The total demand from the nearly 350 proposals we received was $1.5 billion, more than 17 times the amount of funding available. The full list of funded projects can be found below.

Read the full article at NOAA Fisheries